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"~1 


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•  •  "^ 


STIEBINa   TIMES 


VOL.  I. 


THE  INNER  LIFE  OF  SYRIA.  PALESTINE, 
AND  THE  HOLY  LAND. 

By    MRS.    RICHARD    BURTON. 


With  Maps,  Photographs,  and  Coloured  Plates.    2  vols.    Second 
Edition.    Demy  8to.  cloth,  price  24«. 

'  Vivid  pictmes  of  the  outer  as  well  m  the  inner  life  of  Syria.' 

Pall  Mall  QAzrrre. 

*  Her  aocoant  of  harem  Ule  is  one  of  the  I  est  and  most  truthful  that 
has  yet  appeared.'  Acadsmt. 

'ViTld,  derer,  and  brilliant  sketches  of  Damamms  and  the  Mahom* 
medan  and  Christian  raoes  of  Syria.'  Edinburgh  Rkvibw. 


C.  KEGAN  PAUL  &  CO.,  1  Paternoster  Square,  London. 


STIREINQ:  TIMES 


OB 


RECORDS  FROM  JERUSALEM   CONSULAR  CHRONICLES 

OF  1853  TO  1866 


BY   THB   LATB 

JAMES  FINN,  M.E.A.S. 

KBtBOKR  OP  TBS  SOCltit  ABXATIQnB  DE  PABIS;   HXR  UAJtgn*B  CONSUL  FOB  JBBUSAUQI 

Am)  PALBIRTNB  FROM  1846  TO  1868;  PBBSroBNT  OF  THB  JBBU8AXBM  LirBBJLBT 

eOCXBTT  FBOM   1849  TO  1868;    ADTBOR  OF  'BTBWATB  IB  PALBBI1NB' 

'BBPBARDDC'    *OBPBAB   OOLOlTr  OF  JBWB   DT   CEDfA* 


EDITED  AND   COMPILED   BY   HIS   WIDOW 


WITH  A  PREFACE  BY  THE  VISCOUNTESS  STRANGFORD 


Diimx  tl  *«!>(,    DtHt  oult.    (Oonnoll  «t  Clermont) 


IN    TWO    VOLUMES 
VOL.  I. 


LONDON 
0.  KEGAN  PAUL  A  Ca,  1  PATEBNGSTEE  SQUARE 

1878 


(The  rights  of  trandaiitm  and  of  reproduction  are  reserved) 


v 


I 

^ 


*> 


DEDICATION. 

With  graiefvl  heart  we  lay  our  tribtUe  down 

Before  the  feet  of  those  whose  patient  zeal 

In  far-off  lands  still  soiight  their  oou/ntrf/'s  weal, 

No  moHial  fwme  they  craved,  nor  hhod-stairhed  crown. 

On  field,  or  breach,  or  deck,  with  corpses  strown. 

Guardicms  of  right,  and  deaf  to  no  appeal 

From  helpless  poor,  they  made  each  tyrant  feel 

That  quiet  courage  fears  no  mortal  frown. 

But  some  we  mourn  of  those  true  hearts  a/nd  brave. 

Who  waged  with  wrong  the  stem  vmsqual  fight : 

Wearied  and  worn,  amid  the  strife  they  fell. 

And  sank  to  early  rest.     They  sought  the  right — 

Then  lay  we  reverently  upon  their  grane 

Records  of  trvlh—fcr  crown  of  Immortdle. 

E.  A*  F. 


PEEFACE. 


To  THB  PUBLISHEBS. 

I  would  gladly  have  complied  more  fully  with 
the  request  to  write  a  Preface  to  Mr.  Finn's  valuable 
book,  had  I  been  able  to  study  it  carefully ;  but,  as  you 
are  aware,  the  proof-sheets  of  the  work  failed  to  reach 
me,  shut  up  as  I  was  for  so  many  weeks  in  Sofia ;  and 
since  it  arrived  here,  I  have  been  totally  unable  to  give 
it  the  attention  it  justly  claims,  for,  as  you  will  easily 
beheve,  my  work  here  is  very  hard  and  absorbing. 
Any  attempt  at  an  exhaustive  Preface,  therefore,  would 
be  an  impertinence  on  my  part :  all  I  can  venture  to 
do  is  to  tell  you  what  strikes  me  most  from  my  hasty 
glance  at  its  pages,  though  I  cannot  believe  my  opinion 
or  my  thoughts  are  of  any  importance.  Naturally  the 
book  impressed  me  the  more,  as  the  experience  of  a  good 
many  years  has  realised  to  me  the  enormous  power,  in  a 
quiet  way,  that  Consuls  have  for  improving  or  disim- 
proving  the  people  in  whose  country  they  are  placed — 
a  power  that  is  scarcely  appreciated  at  home.  If  it  were, 
perhaps  more  pains  would  have  been  taken  in  their 
selection,  their  salaries  would  be  more  carefully  adjusted 


277143 


VI U  PREFACE. 

to  their  needs,  and  their  representations  would  be  in 
many  cases  less  unheeded. 

We  have  in  these  pages  a  faithful  picture  drawn  day 
by  day  of  events  that  often  seemed  trifling  enough  at  the 
time,  and  that  were  indeed  only  the.  affairs  of  daily  hfe  in 
such  a  country  as  Sytia ;  and  a  stranger  staying  for  a  few 
weeks  in  the  district  might  have  called  them  '  much  ado 
about  nothing.'  Taken  as  a  whole,  however — illuminated 
with  retrospective  light-^they  become  a  deeply  interesting 
story.  These  are  the  small  acts,  the  fine  threads  which 
weave  the  woof  of  history ;  here  are  the  germs  of  those 
events  which  later  on  v^ill  be  written  in  undying  pages. 

ji 

It  is  not  to  be  denied  that  the  book  bears  witness  to 
the  incapacity  and  feebleness  of  the  Turkish  Government 
in  many .  places  and  in  many  ways ;  yet  abundant  as- 
surance may  also  be  gathered  from  its  pages  of  the  sohd 
wealth  of  goodness  and  vast  capacity  for  improvement 
of  nearly  all  the  unofficial  natives,  and  in  many,  or  some 
at  least,  of  its  rulers,  who  are  too  often,  alas !  overlooked 
by  the  Central  Government. 

How  easily,  indeed,  these  simple-minded  people 
may  be  led  1  It  is  impossible  to  calculate  how  great 
the  advance  in  civilisation  would  have  been  in  forty  or 
fifty  years,  had  the  Consuls  been  allowed  to  interfere 
as  much  for  the  advantage  and  improvement  of  the 
people  as  they  did  interfere  for  political  purposes  to 
their  disadvantage  and  injury.^     Had  the  English  Con- 

'  See  chapters  x.,  xi.,  and  xii. 


PREFACE.  IX 

Sills  been  permitted  by  their  Government  to  do  as  much 
good  as  other  Consuls  were  instructed  to  do  mischief, 
the  state  of  the  country  would  now.  be  very  different ; 
and  how  much  bloodshed,  misery,  and  destruction  of 
property,  would  have  been  saved  !  V 

To  help  the  oppressed,  of  whatever  creed  or  nation  ; 
to  investigate  cases  of  wrong ;  to  check  evil  doings ;  to 
set  the  example  of  true  justice  and  equal  rights ;  to  pre- 
vent human  suffering  and  to  succour  the  distressed  ;  and 
to  do  it  all  *  quietly,  so  that  few  were  aware  that  anything 
was  being  done' — all  this  is  but  the  simple  duty  of  a 
Consul.^  Yet  how  few  have  done  it  1  how  rarely  have 
they  been  instructed  or  permitted  to  do  it — nay,  how  often 
have  those  that  tried  so  to  act  been  snubbed  for  *  inter- 
ference' and  *  giving  trouble  at  home!'  Was  not  that 
policy  a  short-sighted  one  which  left  to  the  most  aggres- 
sive, rapacious,  and  intolerant  Power  on  earth  any  pretext 
for  a  tremendous  and  disastrous  interference,  in  order  to 
'  protect  the  Christians  of  the  East '  ?  From  the  days  of 
the  Crusaders  France  and  Italy  have  schemed  and  bribed 
and  fought  for  the  undivided  protection  of  all  the  Chris- 
tians in  the  East,  with  what  variations  of  success,  with  how 
many  Treaties,  Firmfins,  and  Hatti  Shereefs,  other  books 
relate  to  us  besides  the  interesting  sketch  given  by  Mr.  Finn. 
But  Eussian  claim  to  any  such  right  of  protection,  even 
for  those  of  their  own  orthodoxy,  is  of  very  modem  date. 

1  See  pp.  186-197. 

'  Perhaps  there  has  never  been  a  more  touching  petition  than  one  of 
those  olTered  to  Mr.  Finn,  addressed  to  '  him  to  whom  Uie  persecuted  run.' 


X  PREFACE. 

It  is,  however,  none  the  less  a  sharp  and  murderous  weapon 
when  wielded  in  such  hands  as  theirs.  But  surely  some 
of  us  may  permit  oimselves  to  regret  that  England  has 
so  continuously  refused  to  accept  the  noble  mission,  not 
of  a  high-handed,  blustering  *  protection,'  which  meant  a 
great  deal  more,  but  of  the  gentle,  quiet  work  of  a  protector 
who  strengthens  the  upright,  comforts  the  weak-hearted, 
defends  the  desolate  and  oppressed,  executes  justice,  and 
maintains  truth,  without  a  thought  of  greed  or  self- 
interest.  Mr.  Finn  says:  'By  the  time  the  Crimean 
War  broke  out  the  vigilance  and  industry  of  the  British 
authorities  had  produced  an  appreciable  effect.  ...  A 
few  more  years,  and  the  non-Moslems  of  the  East  would 
have  grown  happy  and  prosperous,  and  would  have 
needed  neither  defender  nor  champion,  for  they  would 
have  been  strong  enough  to  take  care  of  themselves. 
But  what  would  then  have  become  of  the  champions  ? '  ^ 
The  fact  also  of  any  Christian  Power  being  openly  united 
with  the  Sultan  would  prevent  there  ever  being  a  really 
dangerous  war,  for  recourse  could  not  then  be  had  to  a 
Holy  War  of  Moslem  against  Christian,  including  the 
pious  slaughter  of  all  but  the  professors  of  Islam. 

We  live  so  fast  in  these  days  that  patience  has  be- 
come an  old  fashioned  virtue,  the  mark  of  a  degraded 
and  effete  people.  Time  to  grow  is  disallowed ;  de- 
velopment must  be  pushed  on  as  in  a  forcing-house ;  and 
what  formerly  took  a  year  must  to-day  be  accomplished 

'  P.  10.^. 


PREFACE.  XI 

in  a  week.  No  one  stops  lo  consider  now  what  Turkey 
was  a  few  years  ago— the  country  must  be  taken  by  the 
throat  and  throttled,  because  it  is  not  advanced  in  the 
same  d^ree  as  Western  countries  who  have  centuries 
of  growth  behind  them.  '  The  Turkish  power  in  Europe/ 
which  was  announced  by  the  Duke  of  Wellington  in  1829 
as  *  gone,'  was  indeed  so  hampered  by  internal  rebellion, 
fomented  entirely  by  foreign  intrigue,  that  its  struggle  for 
existence  has  been  fraught  with  all  the  evils  of  despair. 

Hence  have  arisen  much  of  the  venality  and  corrup- 
tion of  the  upper  classes,  making  hay  while  the  short 
summer  lasted,  knowing  themselves  unable  to  stand 
against  the  ceaseless  and  interminable  intrigues  which 
pervaded  most  of  their  provinces.  A  bold,  intelligent 
policy  would  have  removed  every  pretext  for  external 
interference ;  but  the  Turk  was  not  accustomed  to  trust 
to  policy,  and  he  knew  well  the  power  of  his  sword  of 
old.  Thus,  while  he  doubted,  the  evil  hand  of  the 
foreigner  led  him  to  the  pit  which  it  had  already  dug 
for  him  among  his  own  people.  Unassisted  by  intrigue, 
few  would  have  rebelled  against  the  Government  of  their 
country,  to  whom  many  are  still  loyal :  they  rebelled  only 
against  the  misgovemment  of  the  Pashks ;  they  asked  the 
fiilfilment  of  the  law  already  given,  not  by  any  means  a 
new  law  or  another  yoke.  As  among  the  intelligent  por- 
tion of  the  Bulgarians  in  Eoumelia  since  the  calamities  of 
May,  1876,  so  among  the  Arabs  in  these  past  years,  Mr. 
Finn  tells  us  :  *  There  was  nothing  to  endanger  the  safety 


Xll  PREFACE. 

of  Turkish  dominion  in  Palestine,  Left  to  themselves, 
the  peasant  factions  of  the  Bedawy  tribes,  the  Druses  and 
the  Maronites,  might  and  did  fight  against  each  other ; 
but  of  any  insurrection  against  their  lord,  the  Sultan,  there 
was  not  the  slightest  danger.  Local  dissensions  and  hos- 
tilities might  be  fomented  by  intrigue  from  without  .  .  . 
but  of  rebellion  against  the  Sultan  and  his  government 
there  was  no  idea  whatever,'  ^  for  the  village  laws  were 
good,  adapted  to  the  country  and  the  creed,  and  in  Syria 
they  were  for  the  most  part  well  carried  out. 

Whatever  else  their  virtues  and  their  vices,  and  how- 
ever steadily  they  were  advancing  in  civilisation,  as  most 
undoubtedly  they  were,  the  Turks  were  ah-eady  far  in 
advance  of  many  a  Western  nation  in  one  remarkable 
virtue,  viz.,  religious  toleration.  Fanatically  attached  to 
their  own  religion,  they  keep  it  to  themselves,  and  allow 
freedom  of  worship  to  others ;  religious  persecution  in 
the  East  is  the  exclusive  property  of  the  Christians,  who 
have  frequently  invoked  the  aid  of  the  Moslem  against 
each  other,  to  stifle  progress,  or  to  gain  a  temporary 
advantage  for  themselves.  Yet  how  can  we  blame  this 
apparent  anomaly,  when,  at  home  in  England,  we  find 
the  very  persons  who  are  most  active  in  sending  missions 
to  Kussia,  '  to  convert  the  Eussians  to  true  Christianity,' 
are  now  the  most  enthusiastic  in  their  praises  of  the  *  De- 
liverer of  the  Eastern  Christians,'  and  the  most  anxious 
for  their  victory  over  the  one  nation  that  has  permitted 

»  Pp.  217,  220. 


PREFACE.  XIU 

the  preaching  of  the  gospel  in  their  country  with  the 
utmost  tolerance  I  These  good  people  have  no  words 
hard  enough  to  express  their  indignation  at  the  fanaticism 
of  the  Moslem,  at  the  spread  of  Islam  by  the  sword,  and 
at  the  massacres  of  the  four  thousand  Bulgarians  who 
perished  two  years  ago  by  the  brutahty  of  the  Pomaks 
and  Bashi  Bozuks  ;  but  if  the  blood  of  these  poor  crea- 
tures shed  by  the  Moslems  cried  out  then  to  Heaven, 
what  an  awfiil  cry  must  now  be  raised  by  the  hundreds 
of  thousands  slain  and  done  to  death  by  the  Christians  ? 
Mr.  Finn  rightly  asks,  'Who  instigated  the  Lebanon 
massacres  of  1860  ?  Who  encouraged  and  revived  the 
fast  waning  fanaticism  of  the  Moslems  ?  '^  And  we  who 
see  the  terrible  eflfects  of  the  greed  of  Kussia  may  also 
ask  what  sort  of  Christianity  is  that  taught  by  the  acts  of 
the  invaders  of  to-day  ? 

Many  an  interesting  parallel  will  be  drawn  from  these 
pages  of  the  situation  of  the  years  treated  about  in  this 
book,  with  that  of  this  year — of  the  origin  of  that  war, 
which  began  in  the  heart  of  Jerusalem,  in  the  Holy  Sepul- 
chre itself,  though  it  afterwards  became  the  war  of  the 
Crimea,  and  the  war  of  1877.  Both  wars  owe  their  origin 
to  Eussian  aggression  and  falsehood,  for  the  Eussians,  in 
1853,  had,  according  to  their  usual  custom,  made  the  mis- 
take of  confusing  protection  and  possession ;  they  boldly 
asserted  their  *  right  to  protect ; ' — that  is,  to  have  the 
custody  of  ^ — ^the  Holy  Places,  to  which,  in  truth,  they  had 

»  P.  484.  »  Pp.  6  and  58. 


XIV  PREFACR 

not  the  very  slightest  right ;  while  now,  in  1877,  after  as- 
serting their  *  right  to  protect '  the  Bulgarians,  the  desire 
for  protection  was,  as  usual  also,  when  convenient, 
changed  into  the  right  to  possess  them. 

Turkey  has  suffered  more  than  any  country  in  the 
world  by  her  visitors;  no  country  has  been  so  much 
visited  by  travellers,  and  none  has  been  so  imperfectly  un- 
derstood. The  flood  of  travellers  and  travellers'  books 
have  made  everything  so  familiar  to  the  eye  and  to  the 
ear  that  people  have  been  led  to  think  that,  what  they 
saw  so  easily,  they  must  have  as  easily  understood  ; 
whereas  in  all  probability  two-thirds  of  the  stories  they 
have  read  were  but  the  imaginations  of  the  writer,  not 
the  facts  of  the  country.  It  is  invariably  he  who  has 
been  the  shortest  time  in  these  lands  who  thinks  he  un- 
derstands them  best ;  those  who  live  there  longest  learn 
best  how  little  they  know.  An  intelligent  traveller  can 
'  see  with  his  own  eyes,'  no  doubt ;  but  httle  good  will 
that  do  him  unless  he  knows  the  '  reason  why  '  of  what 
he  has  seen :  the  origin,  the  root  of  it  contains  pro- 
bably the  whole  meaning.  Hence  the  value  of  a  book 
detailing  the  experience  of  a  twenty  years'  resident,  fluent 
in  the  languages  which  came  daily  and  hourly  to  his  ears. 
Mr.  Finn  rightly  points  out  ^  that  the  lumping  together 
of  all  the  various  races  in  Turkey,  and  believing  that 
the  same  legislation  and  rule  will  do  for  all  alike,  is 
absurd ;   still  more  grossly  absurd  is  the  idea  that,  be- 

>  Pp.  212,  213.    * 


PREFACE.  XV 

cause  acquaintance  has  been  made  with  one  race,  the 
rest  can  be  understood,  and  are  known  simply  because 
they  profess  the  same  religion.  This  is  all  the  less  pos- 
sible as  Islam  has  almost  as  many  diversities  as  Chris- 
tianity. Yet  no  doubt  after  the  present  war  not  a  few  of 
the  siu'geons  who  have  dressed  the  wounds  of  a  Bosniak, 
or  of  an  Arab,  or  of  a  Pomak,  or  of  an  Arnaout,  will 
firmly  believe  that  he  knows  the  national  character  of 
all  the  '  Turks/ 

In  the  same  manner  it  is  perfectly  sickening  to  hear 
people,  whose  attention  has  only  lately,  for  the  first  time, 
been  drawn  to  Turkey,  talking  of  the  *  general  state  of 
European  Turkey  for  the  last  four  hundred  (!)  years'  as 
similar  to  what  intrigue  and  violence  made  part  of  it  for 
one  miserable  month ;  and  asserting  that  the  normal  con- 
dition of  the  country  from  end  to  end  has  been  that  of 
ceaseless  massacre  and  rapine.  A  moment's  thought,  on 
the  part  of  those  who  wished  to  speak  the  truth  for 
truth's  sake,  would  convince  them  that  no  human  beings 
could  have  flourished  as  the  Arabs  and  the  Bulgarians 
have  done  had  this  been  the  case.  Precisely  so  might  a 
foreigner  assert  that  the  state  of  all  the  streets  of  London, 
and  of  all  the  towns  in  our  provinces,  was  one  vast  scene 
of  daily  and  nightly  murder,  burglary,  lust,  and  bruta- 
lity, after  studying  a  monthly  Eeport  of  the  Metropo- 
litan Police-office,  and  an  annual  volume  of  the  *Ees- 
cue  Society,' — in  which  latter  production  it  may  truly 
be  said  there  are  more   sorrowful   horrors  detailed   as 


XVI  PREFACE. 

happening  in  the  heart  of  our  civilised  capital,  in  one 
year,  than  in  ten  years  of  Turkish  provincial  history. 
But  how  few  of  our  pohticians,  who  have  chosen  their 
*  side/  care  to  learn  the  real  facts,  the  true  reahties  of 
the  subject  I 

If  they  do,  here  indeed  is  a  book  which  vnll  teach 
them  much ;  here  they  will  learn  not  only  the  events*, 
but  the  motives  from  which  they  sprung ;  they  will  see 
a  faithfiil  statement  of  facts  made  without  prejudice  or 
misrepresentation ;  they  will  find  a  mine  from  which  to 
dig  much  ore.  For  this  reason  I  rejoice  that  you 
have  decided  to  publish  Mr.  Finn's  writings. 

I  remain,  yours  very  truly, 

E.  STRANGFORD. 

COKBTAKHNOPLB : 

Apra,  1878. 


PREFACE   BY   THE   AUTHOR. 


In  this  work  there  are  no  doughty  deeds  or  high  achieve- 
ments to  be  recorded,  and  we  are  unable  to  strike  the 
bold  key-note  of 

Oanto  r  anne  pietose,  e  1  gran  Capitano. 

For  although  my  subject  is  one  that  has  relation  to  great 
events,  Jerusalem  herself  performed  but  little,  visibly, 
among  the  acts  done  during  the  Eussian  war  of  1853  to 
1856.     Her  part  was  more  passive  than  aggressive. 

Neither  does  our  scope  include  the  large  politics 
of  Europe  which  moved  and  sustained  the  war,  for  we 
are  confined  to  local  affairs,  described  after  an  interval  of 
several  years  from  notes  taken  at  the  time. 

Our  topics  are  not,  however,  limited  to  description  of 
Turkish  relations  with  their  own  subjects  and  with  the 
officisils  of  foreign  countries  residing  in  Palestine.  Our 
plan  is  rather  to  narrate  any  events  that  occurred  within 
the  prescribed  limits  of  time,  even  though  some  of  them 
may  include  details  referring  personally  to  the  writer, 
and  to  give  notices  of  the  general  condition  of  the  country 
and  of  its  inhabitants,  the  whole  forming  a  kind  of  kalei- 
doscopic variety. 

VOL.  x^  a 


XVm         PREFACE  BY  THE  AUTHOR. 

And  yet  not  a  mere  kaleidoscopic  medley  for  amuse- 
ment, since  these  pages  will  exhibit  the  gravity  of  the 
issues  involved  in  the  war,  the  critical  state  of  the  whole 
country  of  Palestine  at  the  time,  the  anarchy  of  the  dis- 
tricts, the  slight  hold  which  the  Turkish  Government 
was  able  to  maintain,  and  the  facility  presented  for 
intrigues  of  foreigners.  Considerations  of  some  value  in 
our  days,  and  in  the  light  of  the  Gortschakoff  Circular  of 
October,  1870,  will  be  presented  to  our  minds  by  the 
above  topics. 

The  first  rough  draft  of  this  sketch  of  the  Holy  Land 
during  the  Crimean  War  was  made  in  1870.  The  world 
was  then  in  outward  peace.  The  Prussians  with  their 
allies  were  at  home ;  the  French  Empire  was  in  existence, 

as  well  as  the  temporal  sovereignty  of  the  Pope  ;  and  the 
neutrality  of  the  Black  Sea  was  guarded  by  the  Treaty  of 
Paris.  Great  changes  have  taken  place  in  all  these  affairs, 
and  the  security  of  Turkey,  including  Palestine,  cannot 
but  be  affected  by  the  disturbance  of  the  relations  to  each 
other  of  the  Powers  involved  in  those  changes. 

Omitting  speculations  on  the  future,  we  may  remark 
that  the  effect  of  the  Eussian  war  of  1853-6  was  to  set 
up  the  Turkish  dominion  on  a  firmer  basis  than  before, 
certainly  so  in  Palestine.  Eoughly  speaking,  however, 
the  old  routine  of  government  continued  with  none  but 
very  paltry  improvements  in  administration. 

One  more  observation,  and  that  in  reference  to  the 
distant  combatants. 


PREFAOE  BY  THE  AUTHOR.  xix 

The  acclamation  of  *  God  wills  it,'  which  impelled  the 
first  Crusade,  bore  against  the  Moslem  holders  of  the  Holy 
Sepulchre ;  but  the  shouts  of  the  war  we  are  now  con- 
sidering were  directed  by  representatives  of  the  same 
nations,  who  fought  in  that  first  Crusade ;  but  now  they 
were  fighting  in  defence  of  the  Moslem  holders  of  that 
same  treasure,  against  a  power  which  has  only  become 
fully  Christian  since  the  crusades,  and  which  equally 
covets  possession  of  the  Holy  Sepulchre. 

Such  are  the  changes  which  time  brings  about. 

This  was  the  outward  aspect  of  events  at  the  com- 
mencement of  the  struggle  in  1853,  but  circumstances 
expanded  in  size  as  events  progressed,  the  war  lost  the 
religious  character  of  its  beginning,  and  the  vnrestling 
upon  that  small  *  arena '  of  the  Crimea  became  one  for 
mastery  over  vast  regions  of  land  and  sea. 

Opportunities  cannot  fail  to  recur  so  long  as  the  same 
temptations  exist. 

Written  m  1872. 


It  haa  been  observed  in  connection  with  the  competi- 
tion of  all  European  nations  at  present  for  influence  in 
Jerusalem,  and  the  decay  at  the  same  time  of  the  Ottoman 
power,  that  all  the  Consulates  (except  the  British)  bear 

a2 


XX  NOTE  BY  THE  AUTHOR. 

the  Eagle  for  armorial  ensigns — the  Eussian,  the  Aus- 
trian, the  French,  the  Prussian. 

*  For  wheresoever  the  carcase  is,  there  will  the  Eagles 
be  gathered  together.' 

'      NOTE  BY  THE  AUTHOR. 


INTEODUOTOEY   NOTICE   BY   THE   EDITOB. 

The  Eastern  Qaeotion  and  the  Orusades  from  the  Jerusalem  point  of  yiew — 
The  object  of  the  contest — The  combatants  as  represented  by  their 
champions — The  Anthor  of  this  History,  Mr.  Finn,  H.  M.  Consul  for 
Jerusalem  and  Palestine  from  1846  to  1863. 

The  Eastern  Question  which  is  engrossing  men's  minds 
was  the  cause  of  the  Crimean  war,  as  we  now  call  the 
Eussian  war  of  1853-6.  It  was  not  a  purely  political 
question,  in  which  nothing  is  involved  beyond  the  posses- 
sion of  Constantinople.  From  first  to  last  the  question  of 
the  Holy  Places  in  Palestine  has  been  inextricably  mixed 
up  with  the  politics  of  the  Eastern  Question.  The  peace 
of  1856  was  regarded  by  few  as  a  final  settlement  of  the 
dispute,  though  none  could  say  when  it  might  again 
break  out  and  involve  East  and  West  once  more  in  a 
sanguinary  struggle. 

The  Eastern  Question  (and  some  will  say,  '  What  is 
the  Eastern  Question?')  has  once  again  involved  the 
nations  of  Europe  in  perplexity,  has  now  once  more 
been  referred  to  the  arbitrament  of  the  sword. 

If  Jerusalem  and  the  Holy  Land  be  intimately  and 
inseparably  bound  up  with  the  Eastern  Question,  it  may 
be  of  use  to  bring  forward,  at  this  juncture,  all  information 
which  bears  upon  the  subject ;  all  which  may  throw  light 
upon  the  origin  of  the  disputes  that  led  to  the  last  war ; 


XXll         INTRODUCTORY  NOTICE  BY  THE  EDITOR.    - 

all  that  may  enable  us  to  understand  better  the  actual 
condition  of  the  Holy  Land  then — for  without  these  facts 
before  us,  we  shall  scarcely  be  able  rightly  to  estimate 
subsequent  events  in  their  bearing  upon  the  present  com- 
plications. As  a  contribution  to  this  useful  knowledge, 
the  present  volumes  of  *  Jerusalem  Consular  Chronicles ' 
are  offered. 

The  intent  of  this  history  is  to  show  the  condition  in 

which  Jerusalem  and  the  Holy  Land,  the  first  cause  and 
aim  of  the  war,  were  during  its  course,  and  how  they 
were  thereby  affected. 

Jerusalem  took  no  part  in  the  war — ^her  part  was  pas- 
sive, not  aggressive — and  yet  Jerusalem  was  in  very 
deed  the  cause  of  the  war — the  prize,  for  possession  of 
which  two  of  the  combatants  were  striving — ^the  one 
(Eussia)  in  attack  upon  Turkey,  the  other  (France)  in 

defence,  with  Turkey. 

We  had  in  the  Crimean  War  one  more  Crusade  waged 
for  rescue  of  the  Holy  Places,  only  this  time  the  Crusade 
was  being  fought  by  the  champion  of  the  Eastern 
Church,  and  there  was  room  for  doubt  as  to  the  purity 
of  the  motives  which  animated  that  champion  in  his 
zeal. 

Fully  to  understand  the  significance  of  the  early  Cm- 
sades,  it  is  necessary  to  have  lived  at  Jerusalem. 

The  terms  Eastern  and  Western  Churches  convey  but 
little  living  reality  to  the  mind,  until  one  has  beheld  the 
thronging  multitudes   surge  around   the   grand  central 


•  INTRODUCTORY  NOTICE  BY  THE  EDITOR.        XXllI 

point  to  which  all  thie  branches  of  those  Eastern  and 
Western  Churches  gravitate ;  till  one  has  beheld  on  the 
spot  the  ceaseless  strife,  the  never-ending  antagonism  and 
rivalry  between  the  two  great  divisions  of  the  Eoman 
World  christianized.  Though  Eussia  was  not  included 
in  the  ancient  Eoman  World,  she  now  appears  in  the  lists 
as  champion  of  the  same  Eastern  or  Greek  Church — 
known  in  the  East  not  as  the  Church  of  the  GreekSj  but 
by  the  appellation  imder  which  that  church  is  always 
called  on  the  spot,  the  Church  of  the  'Eoom'  {Le. 
Eomans). 

The  very  heart  and  kernel  of  the  Eastern  Question 
can  only  be  reached  in  the  Holy  City,  Jerusalem,  where 
the  Eastern  and  the  Western  Churches  are  still  wrestling 
as  of  old  for  the  mastery,  with  all  the  forces,  spiritual  and 
secular,  that  each  can  bring  to  bear. 

Now  as  heretofore,  disguise  the  object  as  they  may, 
they  are  striving  for  a  prize  which  has  not  been  destined 
by  Divine  Providence  for  either ;  and  this  prize  is  no  less 
than  a  virtual  dominion  over  the  Christian  World,  from  a 
throne  of  government  within  the  Sanctuaries  of  the  Holy 
City,  and  the  possession  of  that  throne  would  involve 
possession  of  the  key  to  universal  dominion. 

Kinglake  has  well  observed  in  respect  to  the  con- 
nection of  the  Crimean  War  with  the  Holy  Places  at 
Jerusalem :  *  The  mystery  of  Holy  Shrines  lies  deep  in 
human  nature.  .  .  .  For  men  strongly  moved  by  the 
Christian  Faith  it  was  natural  to  yearn  after  the  scenes  of 


XXIV        mTRODUCTORY  NOTICE  BY  THE  EDITOR. 

the  Gospel  narrative/    ('  Invasion  of  the  Crimea/  vol.  i. 
40-41.) 

And  a  Latin  monk  expressed  simply  and  truly  the 
feeling  of  most  of  those  who  have  joined,  or  who  are 
ready  to  join  in  these  modem  Crusades,  when  on  being 
remonstrated  with  about  a  fight  which  had  taken  place  in 
the  very  Church  of  the  Nativity,  at  Bethlehem,  and  being 
asked,  *  What  must  unbeUeving  Moslems  think  of  such 
doings?'  he  answered,  'They  see  how  much  we  love 
our  religion,  and  that  we  are  ready  to  fight  and  die 

for  it; 

Mr.  Finn,  the  author  of  this  sketch,  had  ample  oppor- 
tunities for  observing  the  condition  of  Jerusalem  and 
Palestine  before  as  well  as  during  the  Crimean  War. 
He  was  Consul  for  Jerusalem  and  Palestine  from  1845 
till  1863,  and  lived  in  the  land  for  more  than  seventeen 
years.  Long  previous  study  and  a  deep  practical  interest 
in  the  Holy  Land  had  fitted  and  prepared  him  for  enter- 
ing with  intelhgence  upon  his  official  duties.  Conversant 
with  political  affairs,  and  having  a  personal  knowledge  of 
European  countries,  he  was  also  ready  as  a  scholar  and 
linguist,  to  enter  at  once  upon  the  variety  of  interesting 
questions  and  subjects  which  present  themselves  for  con- 
sideration in  the  Holy  Land. 


USEFUL   DATES, 


Napoleon  Buonaparte  in  Syria 

Greek  War  of  Independence  begun 

I^Tptians  occupied  Syria 

The  Hattri  Shereef  of  Gulbane  granted  by  the  Sultan 

The  Battle  of  Nezib,  June  24.     Sultan  Mahhmood  died  five 
days  after  .... 

Syria  restored  to  Turkey 

The  Tanzim&t  Hairiyeh  promulgated   . 

War  between  Turkey  and  Rujssia 

France  and  England,  as  allies  of  Turkey,  declared  war  against 

XvuBBia  ..... 

Sardinia  joined  January  10      . 
Sebastopol  taken  September  8  . 

Hatt-i  Humayoon  granted  February  13 
Peace  concluded  March  30       . 


YBAB 

1799 
1821 
1831 
1838 

1839 
1840 
1841 
1853 

1854 
1855 

1855 

1856 
1856 


CONTENTS 

OP 

THE    FIRST    VOLUME. 

>0i         ■ 


CHAPTER  I. 

THB  EA£rrEBN  QUESTION — APPROACH  OP  WAR. 

PAGE 

Departure  of  the  Turkish  battalion  from  Jerusalem,  September  19, 1863, 
for  the  War — Guardianship  of  the  Christian  Sanctuaries — Stealing 
the  silyer  star  at  Bethlehem — ^^Ihe  question  of  the  Sanctuaries  mooted 
in  Constantinople — 'Afeef  Bej — Turkish  Commissioner  in  Jerusalem 
assembles  the  Christian  Patriarchs  at  the  Holy  Sepulchre — Scene 
at  the  Virgin's  Sepulchre  at  the  foot  of  Olivet — Settlement  of  the 
Dispute  about  the  Sanctuaries,  April  22, 1853 — Question  of  Christian 
protection  in  Turkey  by  Europeans  now  sprang  up— Riimours  of  War 
— ^Russian  invasion  of  the  Principalities 3 

CHAPTER  II. 

THE  PARTIES    IN    DISPUTE— GREEKS    AND    LATINS — THE    EASTERN 
AND   THE  WESTERN  CHURCH — THEIR  HISTORY. 

Greek  Church  regarded  by  the  Turks  as  Church  of  the  countxy,  since 
Conquest  by  Omar,  636— Greeks  in  Palestine  consist  of  native  laity 
and  parish  priests,  with  foreign  Greek  higher  clergy  and  bishops — 
Crusades  to  them  a  '  Papal  Aggression ' — Natives  of  Palestine  ex- 
cluded from  the  monasteries — ^Hence  all  the  Higher  Clergy  are 
Foreign  Greeks — Greek  Convent,  i.e.  *  Daii^ivRoom  * — ^Patriarchate 
— Patriarch  Cyril — ^Wealth  of  the  Convents — ^Honse  property  in 
Jerusalem  and  Lands  beyond  the  walls — Archimandrite  Nikephoros 
— Greek  Church  at  the  Holy  Sepnlchre— Russian  Gold  in  the  Bazaars 
— Armenians,  their  Convent  and  Patriarch — Their  supreme  Pontifi', 
the  Cathoghigos  at  Utch-Miazin,  now  a  Russian  subject — ^Russian 
Church — Byzantine  Empire  new  Rome — Syrian,  Coptic  and  Abys- 
sinian Churches  in  Jerusalem — Latin  or  Western  Church — Old  Rome 
— Latin  Patriarch  of  Jerusalem  —  Crusades — Franciscan  Friars 
established  in  Jerusalem  and  Bethlehem,  1234 — '  Terra-Santa  *  Pil- 


XXVIU  CONTENTS  OF 

PAOB 

grimages — Latin  Convents — Alms  from  Europe — Casa-Nuoya  Hospice 
— Convent  Authorities — Statistics — Latin  Festivals  at  various  Sanc- 
tuaries— Pilgrim  Certificate—Bevival  of  Latin  Patriarchate  in  1848 
Monsignor  Joseph  Yalerga — His  State  entrv  into  Jerusalem — ^Firat 
public  Latin  ceremonial  since  fall  of  the  Crusading  Kingdom — 
Position  of  the  Latin  Patriarch  towards  other  Churches,  and  towards 
the  Latin  Terra-Santa  Convents — Licence  to  a  Priest— Ship's  Patent 
for  Terra-Santa 28 

CHAPTER  III. 

SECULAB  REPBESE19TATIVES  OF  LATIN  AND  QBEEK  CHBISTIANITT  IN 

JERUSALEM. 

The  French  '  Protectors  of  Christianity  in  the  East  * — ^Treaty  of  King 
Francis  L — ^Roman  Catholic  Christianity  protected — ^Terra  Santa  Con- 
vents— ^Their  Archives — ^French  Consul  in  State  at  the  Sanctuaries 
of  Jerusalem  and  Bethlehem — Invasion  of  Syria  by  Napoleon  Buonar 
parte — ^His  adoption  of  Moslem  formula — Sir  Sidney  Smith  in  1801 
Protector  of  Christians — Portion  of  his  Flagstaff  on  roof  of  Latin 
Convent  in  Jerusalem — Richard  Cceur  de  lion  at  Acre — ^Prince 
Edward  of  England  at  Nazareth — ^Archhishop  of  Canterbury  and 
Bishop  of  Salisbury  at  the  taking  of  Acre  in  1191 — French  tricolor 
flag  over  Carmel  Convent — ^Turks  regard  the  French  as  the  leading 
Roman  Catholic  Power — Treaties  —  Guizot  —  Latin  Patriarch — 
Curious  Firm&ns  in  the  Latin  Convent — Franks,  &c.— French — Feel- 
ings of  the  Monks — ^French  visitors  and  pilgrims — Preparations  for 
receiving  the  Pope — Greek  Catholic  Patriarch — Sir  John  Chardin 
on  French  negotiations  in  Constantinople — French  Consul  M.  P.  E. 
Botta,  of  Nineveh  celebrity — Russian  Protectorate  of  Eastern  (Greek 
and  Armenian)  Christians  —  M.  Basili,  Russian  Consul-General — 
Russian  travellers  —  Russian  Sculors  in  English  Church — Promise 
by  Turkey  that  Russia  should  have  a  Church  and  Hospice  at  Jeru- 
salem— ^Archimandrite  Porphyrios — Russian  contributions  to  Greek 
Convent — Purchase  of  Lands  by  Greek  Convent        ....    66 

CHAPTER  IV. 

OTHER   EUROPEAN  CONSULATES  IN  JERUSALEM. 

British  Consulate^  the  first  founded  in  1838— France  and  Russia 
founded  theirs  in  1843^ Austrian  in  1849 — Sardinian  Consulate- 
Spanish  in  1864 — Protection  of  Anglican  Bishopric  by  English  and' 
Prussian  Consuls — M.  Pizzamano^  Austrian  Consul — Br.  Schidtz,  first 
Prussian  Consul — Succeeded  by  Br.  G.  Rosen — Prussian  Congrega- 
tion and  Institutions — ^Commercial  and  Political  Consulates — ^Legal 
functions  of  Consuls — ^Various  people  protected  by  the  several  Con- 
sulates— ^The  'Capitulations' — Rank  and  precedence  of  Consuls — 


THE  FIRST  VOLUME.  XXIX 

PAOK 

yice-Consulfi  and  Oancellidies — ^Interpreters  '  dragomams ' — Thdr  posi- 
tion— Eawwdsses  or  Janissaries — Editor^sNote — ^Mr.  Finn,  the  British 
Ck>n8iil — ^The  yarious  peoples  within  the  territory  over  which  the 
Consulate  extended — ^People  protected — ^Amoiint  of  business  trans- 
acted— Consulate  House    .        .        .        .        <        i        «        .        .    8i 

CHAPTER  V. 

FOSmON  OF  JEWS   IN  PALESTINE — ^PERSECUTION — ENGLISH   PROTEC-' 
TION  OF  JEWS — TBANSFEB   OF   RUSSIAN  JEWS. 

Position  of  Jews  in  Palestine — ^Four  holy  Cities :  Jerusalem,  Hebron^ 
Tiberias,  and  Safed — Sephardim,  or  Spanish  Jews — *  First  in  Zion/ 
i.e.  Chief  Babbi — ^HJs  Council  or  Beth-din — Synagogues — Anhkenazinif 
or  European  Jews  from  Germany,  Russia,  &c. — Lord  Palmerston's 
protection  of  Jews  in  Palestine,  1839 — ^Blood-persecution  in  Da- 
mascus, 1840 — Further  action  of  Lord  Palmerston,  1841 — Threatened 
persecution  in  1847  by  the  Greek  Christians — Scene  in  the  Pashli's 
Court — Action  of  ^itish  Consul — Jews  excluded  £rom  the  Church 
of  the  Holy  Sepulchre — ^Transfer  of  Russian  Jews  to  British  protec- 
tion— Special  fiists  observed  by  the  Jews — ^Visit  of  Sir  M.  Montefiore 
— Jewish  coinage — Anointing  of  the  Keys  of  Jerusalem  by  the  Jews 
— ^Dues  paid  to  Moslems — Wailing  place — ^Rachel's  Sepulchre-^ 
Place  of  Slaughtering — Employment  of  Jews  at  Industrial  Plantation 
and  Urtas — ^Industrial  plans  of  Sir  M*  Montefiore — Rothschild  and 
the  'Hebrew  Alliance'  —  System  of  SkUichuthj  or  Messengers — 
Attachment  of  Israelites  to  the  Holy  Land — Chaltika,  or  distribu* 
tion  of  Alms — ^Hebrew  language  living  still — Used  in  the  British 
Consulate — ^Hebron  and  Safed  Jews — Excellent  moral  character  of 
the  Jews — Translation  of  Address  from  Russian  Jews       .        .        .  101 

CHAPTER  VI. 

PROTESTANTS  IN   PALESTINE. 

The  Protestants  in  Jerusalem — ^Natives — Arabs — Europeans — Hebrew- 
Christianfl  —  English  —  Germans  —  American  Missionaries — Jewish 
Mission  resolve  on  building  a  Church — British  authorities  co-operate 
— ^Egyptian  Government  favourable — Ottoman  Government  refuses — 
Engliah  Bishopric  established  in  1841 — Action  of  the  King  of  Prussia 
— Consecration  of  Bishop  Alexander — Firm&n  authorising  the  build- 
ing of  the  Church  as  Consular  Chapel,  granted  in  1841 — Consecration 
of  church,  1849 — ^English  Mission — Origin  of  Native  Protestantism — 
Early  Missionaries,  English  and  American — Second  English  Bishop 
— Firm&n  of  toleration  for  Protestants,  1850 — ^Nazareth  disturbances, 
1852 — ^Translation  of  the  Sultan's  firmans — and  of  the  Vizierial 
letter 133 


yyy  CONTENTS  OF 

CHAPTER  Vn. 

TURKISH   GOVERNMENT  IN  PALESTINE. 

PAOE 

Pash&a — Military  force  —  Regulars  — '  Nizam '  —  Irregularfl  — '  BasM- 
Bozuk' — ^Their  pay  and  their  duties — ^Taxation — Jaffa  as  Seaport — 
Law  Courts — ^Kadi — Mufti — Christian  Evidence — Municipal  Courts 
— Mejlia — Reforms — Arab  Office-holders — Jewish  'Beth-din* — Weak 
points  in  the  administration  of  Law — ^The  laws  in  Turkey  are  good 
in  themselves — Benefits  of  Consular  vigilance — Check  upon  unjust 
rulers — Effect  upon  the  Pash&s  of  Consular  reports  to  the  British 
Embassy  at  Constantinople  —  Progress  and  improvement  before 
Crimean  War — Condition  of  Christians  materially  improved  before 
1853 — ^Influence  of  Lord  Stratford  de  Redcliffe — Injurious  effect  of 
Russian  War,  in  reviving  fanaticism  and  checking  progress — ^Testi- 
mony of  Lord  Stratford  de  Redcliffe 159 

CHAPTER  Vin. 

GENERAL   MOSLEM   POPULATION  OF   PALESTINE. 

Improved  condition  of  the  Christians — Moslem  pilgrimages  to  Jeru- 
salem —  Hharam-eshrShereef —  'Noble  Sanctuary'  jealously  closed 
against  Non-^Moslems — ^Murder  of  a  Moslem  at  prayer  in  the  Sanc- 
tuary— Nabloos  fanaticism — Death  to  Apostates — Various  kinds  of 
Moslems — jy/aAA«cn ' Peasantry ' — BeUadeen  'Town  Arabs' — ^Their 
dislike  of  Turks  —  Peasant  or  Fellah  Code  of  Law — Thftr,  or 
'blood  revenge' — Influence  of  Village  clan  Shaikhs — ^Turkish  yoke 
not  heavy — '  Balance  of  power' — '  Divide  et  impera' — Turkish  system 
of  self-government — Its  disadvantages — Reforms      ....  200 

CHAPTER  IX. 

STATE  OF  THE  COUNTRY. 

Crisis  as  to  Turkish  dominion  was  expected  in  1853 — Peasantry  or 
Fellahheen — KaIs  and  Yemen  factions — Abu  Gosh  clan — 'Othman  el 
Lahham  of  Bait  Atab  and  his  faction — Mohamn^d  'Abd-en-Nebi  and 
Nimmer  el  'Amleh — ^Muslehh  of  Bait  Jibreen — ^'Abderrahhman  el 
Amer  of  Hebron — Nabloos  (Shechem) — Its  rival  clans — Tokan  and 
'Abdul  Hady — Peasant  Warfare — Thdr  or  Blood  revenge — Dissen- 
sion— Legend  of  the -Devil  and  his  son — Stirring  up  fitction  fight — 
Influence  of  the  Shaikhs  —  Hafiz  Pashd  of  Jerusalem  —  Hebron 
troubles  in  1862 — ^The  Austrian  and  British  Consuls  go  thither  to 
succour  the  Jews — ^'AbderrahhnuLn  el  'Amer  dismisses  the  Turkish 
Governor — ^Terror  of  the  people — ^Nabloos  district  and  the  North 
also  disturbed — Consular  visits  to  those  districts — State  of  the 
country  in  1853  when  visited — Fighting — Truce  effected  by  the 
Pasha 226 


THE  FIRST  VOLUME.  xxxi 


CHAPTER  X. 

ffTATE  OP  THE  COUNTRY — COnttntied. 

PAOB 

Oonsular  tour  to  tlie  North — Protection  of  British  interests — Moral 
influence  only — ^Tyre  and  Sidon — Lebanon — Excitement  in  Bayroot 
— State  kept  up  by  the  Pashft — Dresses — Reduction  of  Tobacco  dues 
— ^Moslem  gratitude — Sidon  and  Tyre — Tibneen — Persian  Prince — 
Nazareth — Ghililee — Nabloos  and  Samaria — Return  to  Jerusalem       .  267 


CHAPTER  XI. 

PANICS     AND     FIGHTS. 

Panic  among  the  Christians — ^PashU  of  Jerusalem  old  and  helpless — 
Fights  dose  to  our  camp — ^The  attack  at  sunrise — Nightly  preparar 
tions  for  fight — Efforts  to  set  Government  in  motion — Battles — 
Shiukh  Hhamd&n — Successful  intervontion — A  Truce  effected — A 
Comet 300 


CHAPTER  XII. 

JEBUSALEM   WITHOUT  A   GARRISON. 

Incursions  of  Bedaween — Our  garrison  of  troops  ordered  off  to  the 
War — ^French  pilgrims — Comet  and  omens  at  departure  of  troops — 
Mohammedan  view  of  politics  and  affairs — Fears  of  the  Christians — 
Sir  Hugh  Rose — Why  the  European  (Frank)  Sovereigns  help  the 
Sultan 327 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

JERUSALEM   AND  PALESTINE  WITHOUT  TURKISH  TROOPS. 

Tufenkchies — ^Thievery  in  the  City — News  of  the  Russian  War — Latin 
Patriarch  at  Bait  Jala — A  lodgement  effected  in  behalf  of  the  Latins 
— General  Sir  Charles  CDonnell — Convent  bigotiy — Protestanta  in 
Bethlehem — The  Rev.  John  Nicolayson — Safety  in  our  Camp — 
Fighting  in  the  Villages — Endeavours  to  stop  the  Slaughter — 800 
Bedaween  between  Jerusalem  and  Bethlehem — Bedaween  in  Beth- 
lehem— Strange  contrasts  of  W^ar  and  Peace 349 


1  i 


XXXU  CONTENTS  OF  THE  FIRST  VOLUME. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

QUIET  AMIDBT  DISTURBANCES. 

PAoa 

Arrival  of  Troope — Proclamation  of  the  War — ^Robberies  near  the 
City — ^Village  Fightings— Uneasiness  in  Nabloos  and  in  Jaffii — Ab- 
derrahhman  at  Hebron  Troublesome — ^Departure  of  the  TsaiA — 
Petition  of  the  Moslems — Daily  life — Safety  of  the  English  Colony 
and  Immunity  from  Annoyance        ..».,.«  S83 


CHAPTER  XV.    ^ 

THE  JERUSALEM  DISTRICT  WITHOUT  A  PABhI. 

TurMah  diplomacy  in  ruling — Condition  of  Nabloos  and  North  Pales-  % 
tine — ^LuHvility  of  the  Militajy  Commandant  and  of  the  Kadi  checked 
— ^'Akeeli  Aga  and  his  career — Mission  of  the  Consular  Kaww&s — 
Emir-Sa'ad  ed  Deen    Shehabi  of  Hhasbeya  Tisits  Constantinople 
against  his  will)  and  learns  a  lesson  there 4 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

CORN  AT  FAMINE  PRICE. 

Distress  in  Jerusalem — Com  kept  out  of  the  Market — Poor  Jews 
suffering — Com  sent  for  by  us — Distribution  of  loaves — Corn  brought 
in  by  a  natiT^*— Snow  and  rain — Charitable  conduct  of  a  Moslem-^ 
Another  Moslem  loweiB  the  price — Good  harvest       ....  436 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

ARRIVAL  OF  TAKOOB  PAShI. 

A  PashjL  of  ancient  fiunily — Quiet  restored — Pilgrims — Oreeks-^Moe- 
lems — Indian  and  Tartar  Durweeshes  and  Convents — Establishment 
of  a  Spanish  Consulate — ^French  war-ships  on  the  coast — French 
pilgrims — Latin  Patriarch^s  triumph  in  Bait  Jaki-^English  Travellers 
— Queen's  Birthday — ^Eubrisli  Pashjl  now  Grand  Vizier — Arrest  of 
'  three  Effendis — Chief  of  the  Police  arrested  at  the  instance  of  the 
British  Consulate  and  convicted  of  robbery — No  English  ships  on  the 
coast — ^News  and  rumours—  Position  of  Austria  and  Prussia — News 
of  the  War,  both  true  and  false         .        ., 450 


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E.WtUcr.lith.UMaoi 


PART  I. 


PRECEDING  THE  DECLAMTION  OF  WAE 


VOL.  I.  B 


CHAPTER  I. 

THE   EASTERN  QUESTION — ^APPBOACH   OF   WAR. 

Departure  of  the  Turkish  battalion  from  Jeruaalem,  September  10,  1863,  for 
the  War — ^Guardianship  of  the  Ohristian  Sanctuaries — Stealing  the  silyer 
star  at  Bethlehem — Ihe  question  of  the  Sanctuaries  mooted  in  Constan- 
tinople— ^'Afeef  Bej — Turkish  Commissioner  in  Jerusalem  assembles 
the  Christian  Patriarchs  at  the  Holy  Sepulchre — Scene  at  the  Virgin's 
Sepulchre  at  the  foot  of  Olivet — Settlement  of  the  Dispute  about  the 
Sanctuaries,  April  22, 1853 — Question  of  Christian  protection  in  Turkey 
by  Europeans  now  sprang  up — Rumours  of  War— ^Russian  invasion  of 
the  Principalities. 

On  September  19,  1853,  a  large  proportion  of  the  in- 
habitants of  Jerusalem  was  assembled  on  the  Meid&n  or 
public  promenade,  at  that  time  in  existence  ^  to  the  west 
of  the  city,  and  near  the  walls,  to  witness  a  benediction 
of  the  battalion  with  its  colours,  which  was  leaving  us  for 
scenes  of  warfare  in  defence  of  D&ru'l  Islftm^  or  territory 
of  Mohammedan  possession. 

Such  an  event  had  not  occurred  there  since  the  era 
of  the  Crusades,  for  at  the  period  of  the  French  invasion 
of  Egjrpt  and  Expedition  to  Palestine,  in  1799,  Jerusalem 
had  no  force  to  send  out :  it  was  then  a  poor  deteriorated 
town,  although  enclosed  then,  as  now,  by  crenellated  Walls 
with  gates  and  stout  towers  for  a  citadel,  its  only  mili- 
tary occupation  being  that  of  a  handful  of  Bashi-bozuk ; 

'  The  new  Russian  buildings,  erected  since  the  Crimean  war,  now  occupy 
the  space  formerly  devoted  to  the  Public  Promenade  or  Meidan. 

B  2 


4     DEPARTURE  OF  TROOPS  FROM  JERUSALEM. 

and  therefore  the  French  general  was  entirely  in  the 
right  for  his  strategical  object  when  he  advanced  straight 
towards  Acre,  without  apprehension  of  consequences  from 
leaving  Jerusalem  in  his  rear.  At  that  time  the  strongest 
edifices  in  the  city  were  the  several  Christian  convents, 
strong  as  buildings,  but  tenanted  only  by  timid  ill-used 
monks.  A  peculiar  character  of  sanctity  was,  indeed, 
impressed  upon  the  place,  in  accordance  with  the  several 
creeds  of  its  population,  whether  derived  from  possession 
of  the  Holy  Sepulchre  by  the  professors  of  one  faith,  or  of 
the  Hharam  esh  Shereef  by  those  of  another,  or  by  the 
reverence  of  a  third  community,  who  lived  comparatively 
unnoticed,  for  a  fragment  of  the  western  wall  of  the 
old  Temple  of  Israel.  But  a  slumber  of  ages  had  at  that 
time  eliminated  from  Jerusalem  all  public  spirit,  or  means 
even  of  self-defence,  much  more  every  possibility  of  con- 
tributing to  external  warfare. 

Our  parade  inspection  and  the  pubhc  prayers  were 
followed  by  acclamations  of  the  multitude ;  and  as  the 
column  marched  off,  with  the  Syrian  sun  glinting  along 
the  moving  steel — for  they  marched  with  fixed  bayonets 
— and  as  the  latest  trumpet-notes  died  away  in  the  dis- 
tance, we  were  left  behind  with  leisure  for  meditation  on 
the  novel  condition  of  affairs  and  speculation  as  to  the 
eventualities  of  an  unknown  future. 

Nineteen  years  ^  having  now  elapsed  since  that  date, 
we  have  sufiicient  opportunity  for  reviewing,  in  the  light 
of  other  transactions,  the  motives  and  the  acts  which  for 
some  time  before  had  been  preparing  the  crisis  of  that 
day ;  and  in  so  doing  we  are  assisted  by  the  fact  that  the 

*  These  words  were  written  in  1872  bj  the  author. — Ed. 


ORIGIN  OF  THE  CRIMEAN  WAR.  5 

originating  circumstances  were  connected  with  Jerusalem 
itself,  for  all  the  world  knows  that  the  Eussian  war  of 
1853  to  1856  sprang  from  a  controversy  about  the  rights 
of  guardianship  at  the  Christian  Sanctuaries  of  Jerusalem 
and  Bethlehem,  as  claimed  by  the  convents  respectively  of 
Latin  and  Greek  rite. 

The  near  connection  in  which  the  Latin  and  Greek 
communities  stand  as  either  joint  or  part  guardians  of  the 
Sanctuaries  which  belong  to  our  Lord's  history — a  matter 
of  such  solemn  import  to  both — soon  degenerated  into 
hostility  and  strife,  not  for  a  dogma  or  a  creed,  as 
Christendom  has  in  other  places  so  often  witnessed,  but 
for  possession  or  custody  of  locality,  inch  by  inch  ;  and 
this  state  of  things  was  perpetuated  through  the  lapse  of 
several  centuries.  The  animosity  ripened  into  personal 
violence,  to  the  scandal  of  other  Christians  who  heard  of 
such  doings  from  a  distance,  and  the  ridicule  or  contempt 
of  unbelievers. 

The  weapons  used  in  such  warfare  were  indeed  carnal, 
even  bodily  fists,  besides  crucifixes  and  huge  wax  tapers 
taken  from  the  very  altars.  In  1846  the  author  had  in 
hand,  fresh  fijom  such  a  battle,  a  narrow  plank  of  cedar 
wood  which  had  covered  one  of  the  rents  in  the  rock  of 
traditional  Calvary,  and  was  inscribed  with  a  Greek  state- 
ment to  that  purport  in  characters  of  silver  laid  on  :  this 
had  been  torn  up  from  its  site,  and  spUt  across  in  the  fray. 

Such  combats  were  not,  however,  confined  to  Greeks 
and  Latins,  though  these  were  the  antagonists  in  ques- 
tions of  proprietorship  of  the  main  objects  of  rever- 
ence. I  have  known  of  two  such  occurrences  between 
Greeks  and  Armenians — one  in  Bethlehem,  when  the 


6  DISPUTES,  GUARDIANSHIP  OF  SANCTUARIES, 

« 

former  laid  down  a  carpet  over  nearly  all  the  approach  to 
the  altar  of  the  Armenians,  and  then  defied  the  latter  to 
tread  upon  it.  This  of  course  led  to  altercation  of  tongue 
and  to  violence,  in  which  severe  wounds  were  inflicted, 
and  on  hearing  of  which  the  townspeople  rushed  into 
the  church,  breaking  down  the  locked  and  bolted  door, 
and  took  share  in  the  proceedings  according  to  their  re- 
spective factions.  The  other  was  in  Jerusalem  between 
the  same  parties  for  first  receiving  of  the  Holy  Fire  from 
the  Sepulchre  on  Easter  Eve  in  1853. 

Similar  scenes  have  been  occasionally  described  in  the 
published  journals  of  travellers,  but  we  are  here  limited 
to  what  was  actually  witnessed  within  a  given  epoch  by 
residents  in  the  country,  to  doings  which  are  scarcely  to 
be  mentioned  with  patient  moderation  of  language,  con- 
sidering the  character  of  the  places,  and  the  professional 
offices  of  the  personages  concerned. 

It  is  an  error,  however  common,  to  apply  the  term 
'  rights  of  property '  to  what  should  rather  be  designated 
as  *  custody '  of  the  Holy  places ;  for  strictly  speaking  the 
property  is  that  of  the  Sultan  of  Turkey,  as  its  terri- 
torial suzerain.  This  proprietor  had  at  diflerent  pre- 
vious epochs  accorded,  by  Firm&ns  or  other  documents, 
the  care  of  the  venerated  objects  to  one  or  other  of  the 
Christian  communities,  and  thus  much  indeed  is  implied 
in  the  very  fact  of  appealing  to  those  documents  during 
the  dispute.  It  is  important  to  bear  this  distinction  in 
mind,  as  it  follows  necessarily  therefrom  that  the  terri- 
torial sovereign  might,  upon  sufficient  cause  appearing  to 
himself,  transfer  his  indulgence  to  either  party  fix)m  the 
other  as  he  pleased.     This,  however,  is  but  an  abstract 


SULTAN  OF  TURKEY,  PROPRIETOR.  GREEKS  AND  LATINS.  7 

position  :  it  does  not  appear  that  the  contrarieties  lately 
complained  of  as  existing  among  the  documents  emanating 
from  the  Porte  on  these  matters  were  ever  based  upon 
a  calculation  of  either  deserving  or  undeserving. 

In  past  ages  the  Turks  at  the  capital  were  in  the  habit 
of  bestowing  or  withdrawing  such  favours  in  amusing 
alternation,  at  one  time  patronising  the  Greek  church  as 
consisting  mainly  of  their  own  subjects  ;  at  another  keep- 
ing these  in  check  by  chastisements  in  the  form  of  depri- 
vation, and  thus  flattering  the  French  kings  as  represen- 
tatives of  Latin  Christianity :  in  both  instances  receiving 
large  pecuniary  presents  and  fees,  while  at  the  same  time 
proudly  upholding  their  own  prerogative  of  dominion, 
which  they  never  frittered  away  for  money  consideration. 

Local  quarrels  at  Jerusalem  frequently  took  place 
between  the  parties  interested,  when  the  Vizierial  letters, 
or  Firmfi^ns,  relating  to  the  Sanctuaries,  were  antagonistic, 
until  in  1757  they  became  so  serious  that  by  a  Hhatti 
Shereef  the  Latins  were  deprived  of  the  church  at  Beth- 
lehem, the  tomb  of  the  Virgin  Mary  near  Gethsemane, 
and  the  custody  of  the  Holy  Sepulchre,  with  only  tolera- 
tion to  worship  at  each,  all  prior  concessions  notwith- 
standing. 

■ 

After  the  fire  in  1808,  which  consumed  large  portions 
of  the  contiguous  buildings,  besides  the  chapel  itself,  of 
the  Holy  Sepulchre,  the  Greek  Christians,  in  respect  of 
the  above  Hhatti  Shereef,  and  of  their  being  subjects  of 
the  Porte,  Were  authorised  (most  happy  privilege !)  to 
repair  the  damages  at  their  own  expense.  Hence  it  is 
that  to  this  day  we  see  Greek  inscriptions,  in  an  artistic 
quaint  character,  about  the  Sepulchre  and  the  Stone  of 


8      ALTERCATIONS.     FRANCE  AND  RUSSIA   INTERFERE 

the  Angel,  and  Greek  pictures  on  the  exterior  of  the 
chapel. 


€ 

(JlLKYrliCE  5^1  HieS€KTfc 

After  the  repairs  had  been  made  by  the  Greeks,  fresh 
altercation  ensued,  so  violent  that  in  1819  the  French 
and  Eussian  Governments  were  called  into  action  on  be- 
half of  their  respective  chents  there.  King  Louis  XVIII. 
and  the  Emperor  Alexander,  though  recently  made 
friends  by  the  most  intimate  political  ties,  were  thus 
drawn  into  a  dispute  about  Jerusalem,  not  for  a  crusade 
against  imbelievers,  but  in  opposition  to  each  other — 
the  former  as  hereditary  *  Protector  of  Christianity  in 
the  East,*^  meaning  his  own  section  of  Christendom ;  the 
latter  as  monarch  of  the  majority  of  adherents  to  the 
Greek  Orthodox  Church,  to  which  also  the  majority  of 
Christians  in  Turkey  belonged :  neither  of  them  having 
the  least  item  of  poHtical  right  for  intervention  beyond 
the  meanings  of  words  which  might  be  wrung  out  of 
friendly  favours  granted  by  the  sovereign  of  the  country. 

As  a  desirable  prehminary,  envoys  from  each  side 
were  sent  into  Palestine  for  collecting  information  on 
the  spot,  M.  Marcellus  in  the  French  interest,  and  M. 
Dashkoff  in  that  of  the  Eussians.  All  seemed  in  a  fair 
way  towards  adjustment  when  the  Greek  war  of  Inde- 


THE  EGYPTIAN  OCCUPATION  OF  SYRIA.  9 

pendence  broke  out  (1821),  and  the  enthusiasm  of  the 
French  in  aid  of  the  revolt  brought  about  a  new  complica- 
tion. The  Turks  would  then  listen  to  no  overtures  from 
either  sid^,  but  treated  Greek  orthodox  and  French 
Cathohcs  as  hostile  to  Ottoman  domination,  and  so  both 
the  convents,  with  their  adherents  in  Jerusalem,  had  to 
shift  for  themselves,  subject  to  personal  severities  and 
pecuniary  imposts,  which  might  have  ended  in  massacres 
had  the  inmates  been  laity  instead  of  clergy  and  monks. 

The  episode  of  the  Egyptian  hold  upon  Syria,  from 
1832  to  1840,  placed  other  obstacles  in  the  way  of  coming 
to  an  understanding  respecting  the  Sanctuaries.  If  he 
had  taken  part  with  either  side,  Mohammed  Ali  would 
probably  have  favoured  the  Latins,  in  consideration  of 
the  number  of  Franks  employed  in  his  military  and  civil 
service  ;  but  owing  to  his  indifference  for  any  creed,  his 
policy  became  rather  that  of  keeping  down  all  such 
litigation  with  an  arm  of  iron,  in  the  temper  which 
pervaded  his  whole  administration, — ^for  under  him  the 
natives  felt  the  roughshod  ruling  to  correspond  with 
their  own  proverb — 

Ez-Zulmeh  1)e-flaweejeh 
Adaleh  le  ra'  aeeyeh 

(tyranny  with  equaUty  is  righteousness  to  its  subjects), 
and  they  preferred  that  style  of  government  to  the  alter- 
nate slip-shod  heedlessness  and  viUanous  cruelty  of  the 
old  Turkish  era.  Such  disputes  therefore  had  no  exist- 
ence in  the  Egyptian  period. 

The  Turks  were  restored  to  Syria  at  the  end  of  1840, 
rather  more  liberal  in  profession  than  they  had  been 
before  leaving  the  country,  and  next  year  promulgated 
the  Hhatti  Shereef  of  Gulhftneh,  which  conceded  a  theo- 


10  SYRIA  RESTORED  TO  TURKEY. 

retical  equality  (far  firom  practical)  among  all  classes  of 
subjects. 

In  1846  they  had  a  man  of  vigour  for  the  Governor 
of  Jerusalem  and  its  dependencies,  Mehemet  Kubrusli 
Pashk,  who  made  short  work  with  monkish  dissensions 
in  his  day.^  The  two  Easters,  European  and  Oriental, 
happening  to  come  together  that  year,  the  disputants,  for 
first  turn  of  celebration  on  the  altar  of  Calvary  in  the  eve 
of  Good  Friday,  became  combatants :  many  woimds  were 
both  given  and  received  from  articles  of  sacred  use. 
At  last  his  Excellency  brought  up  a  military  force,  and 
with  his  own  hands  removed  the  Greek  altar-cloth  of 
coloured  silk  and  gold,  which  had  been  forcibly  placed 
above  the  Latin  altar-cloth  of  white  linen.  Complaint 
was  made  at  Constantinople  of  his  sacrilegious  partiality, 
but  with  no  result. 

The  next  year,  however  (1847),  another  governor 
of  inferior  mental  calibre  being  in  office,  we  learned  one 
morning  in  November  that  a  strange  affair  had  occurred 
m  Bethlehem.  Close  adjoining  the  Holy  Manger  there  is 
another  site  of  even  higher  veneration,  which  is  sur- 
rounded by  lamps  of  silver  and  gold  perpetually  burning, 
and  marked  out  by  a  silver  star  let  into  a  slab  of 
marble  on  the  floor,  and  the  star  contains  these  words 
in  Latin — '  Here  Jesus  Christ  was  bom  of  the  Virgin 
Mary ' — an  inscription  admirable  in  its  very  simplicity. 
This  had  been  placed  there  above  a  century  ago  by 
devout  votaries  of  the  Latin    communion,  and  surely 

^  This  Pasha  afterwards  rose  to  be  Ambassador  in  England ;  then  Seri- 
asker,  or  Oonimander-in-Ohief ;  and  he  firally  attained  to  the  highest  dig^ 
nity  of  all — ^the  office  of  Gmnd  Vizier.    He  died  only  a  few  years  ago. 


STEALING  THE   SILVER  STAR  FROM  BETHLEHEM.      11 

any  stranger  to  the  habitual  rivalries  of  the  place  would 
suppose  that  there  at  least  all  animosities  should  be 
hushed,  seeing  that  both  parties  concurred  in  the  belief 
that  the  words  were  true ;  but  alas !  they  axe  in  Latin 
and  not  Greek — the  star  was  therefore  regarded  as  a 
badge  of  conquest,  intolerable  to  the  Orientals,  although 
on  the  other  part  we  have  never  heard  of  the  Latins 
attempting  to  deface  the  Greek  inscriptions  at  the  Holy 
Sepulchre  in  Jerusalem. 

News  however  arrived  among  us  that,  on  repairing  to 
the  Sanctuary  for  early  morning  sernce,  the  Latin  monks 
found  the  silver  star  was  no  longer  there,  and  that  tokens 
of  violence  used  in  wrenching  it  away  were  evident. 
This  event  proved  a  turning  point  for  questions  of  pro- 
tection of  the  holy  places  in  higher  quarters,  which  the 
French  authorities  then  took  up  in  thorough  earnest. 

The  abstraction  of  the  silver  star  fix)m  the  crypt  at 
Bethlehem  had,  it  seems,  been  preceded  by  a  bodily 
conflict  in  the  church.  The  Greek  monks  during  one 
night  had  run  up  a  temporary  wall  in  a  certain  situation, 
which  would  shut  out  the  Latin  processions  from  access 
to  the  Sanctuary  for  performance  of  daily  services  at 
the  '  Manger.'  The  Latin  president,  with  his  brethren,  at 
once  proceeded  to  remove  that  obstruction,  when  the 
others  rushed  out,  and  a  fight  ensued,  in  which  several 
Greek  priests,  and  (it  is  said)  a  bishop,  took  part,  and 
wounds  were  inflicted  on  both  sides. 

Either  on  the  succeeding  night,  or  very  speedily  after 
it,  the  star  w^as  stolen,  and  what  became  of  it  has  never 
yet  been  ascertained.  The  Latin  monks,  with  tiieir 
clergy  and  laity,  declare  that  the  Greeks  took  it,  and 


12     ACCUSATIONS  AND  COUNTER- ACCUSATIONS, 

carried  it  off  to  their  convent  of  Mar  Saba  in  the  wil- 
derness, where  great  rejoicing  was  made  over  the  booty 
acquired  from  their  adversaries.  They  assert  likewise 
that  a  certain  Greek  priest  of  Bethlehem,  who  was 
named,  was  missing  from  his  convent  at  that  precise 
time  without  returning  thither.^  They  argue,  with 
every  probability  of  reason,  that  the  sacrilege  cannot  be 
laid  to  their  charge,  for  the  star  was  a  pennanent  token 
of  their  property  in  the  spot  where  it  was  laid,  and 
inscribed  in  their  own  language :  their  object  of  desire 
must  therefore  have  always  been  to  keep  it  there,  or  if 
any  motive  could  have  led  them  towards  such  a  pro- 
ceeding, they  would  not  have  torn  the  star  away  by 
hasty  violence,  as  in  this  instance  was  apparent,  for  one 
of  the  screws  was  still  in  its  place  with  a  fragment  of 
the  silver  attached  to  it,  as  I  myself  saw  to  be  the  case. 

In  after  controversy  on  the  subject,  it  was  argued  on 
the  other  side  that  the  Latins  did  it  with  a  design  of 
casting  odium  on  their  suffering  rivals,  and  of  exciting 
compassion  on  their  own  behalf;  also  that  five  years 
previously  the  Latins  had  complained  at  the  Porte  of 
the  Greeks  designing  to  steal  it,  when  they  alone  had 
even  dreamed  of  such  a  thing,  and,  in  consequence, 
had  obtained  an  injunction  against  its  removal.  This 
fact  showed  that  the  deed,  when  at  last  committed,  was 
that  of  the  Latins,  for  the  Greeks,  being  subjects  of 
Turkey,  would  not  have  ventiu:ed  to  disobey  the  Vizierial 

'  The  object  stolen  is  not  the  same,  but  this  event  bears  a  curious  I'esem- 
blance  to  that  of  Tasso's  *  Jerusalem  DeliTered/  Canto  II.  8 : — 

Non  rivide  I'immagine  doT*  ella 

Fu  posta;  6  invan*  cerconne  in  altro  lato^  etc. 


EXCITEMENT.  THE  CONSULS  INTERFERE.     13 

order.  This  does  not  seem  to  be  a  valid  plea  ;  it  might 
rather  tell  in  the  opposite  direction,  namely,  that  five 
years  before  1847  there  had  been  grounds  for  fearing 
that  the  sacrilege 'was  intended. 

However,  the  tidings  spread  rapidly  over  the  country, 
and  M.  Marabutti,  the  Eussian  Vice-Consul  at  Jaffa 
(there  was  then  no  Consular  office  in  the  Greek  interest 
at  Jerusalem),  hastened  up  to  make  enquiries  on  the  spot. 
The  French  Consul  in  Jerusalem,  M.  Helouis-Jorelle, 
appears  to  have  been  rather  apathetic  on  the  matter,  so 
much  so  that  the  discontented  Franciscans^  threatened 
to  place  themselves  (which,  however,  would  not  have 
been  possible)  under  Turkish  rule,  and  to  register  in  the 
British  Consulate  a  deed  declaratory  of  their  reason  for 
doing  so. 

The  Sardinian  Consul  then  began  to  take  up  the 
matter  on  the  ground  of  the  president  of  *  Terra  Santa ' 
being  an  Itahan  subject.  The  friars,  however,  did  not 
attach  much  importance  to  his  good  ofiices ;  but  this 
step  being  taken,  the  French  Consul  began  to  stir  himself, 
and  ran  to  an  opposite  extreme.  He  repaired  to  the 
Pashk,  and  *  in  the  name  of  France '  demanded  to  have 
the  star  replaced,  without  trusting  to  the  dilatoriness  of 
any  investigation  whatever. 

Civic  Councils  of  the  Mohammedan  Grandees  were 
held  for  deliberation,  and  reports  were  forwarded  to 
superior  authorities  on  all  sides  at  Bayroot  and  Constan- 
tinople. In  one  of  these  to  his  Government,  the  Pashk 
stated :  *  I  should  have  been  able  to  recover  the  star  at 

^  At  this  period  the  Franciscans  were  the  sole  representatives  of  the 
Latin  Church. 


14       THE  MATTER  TAKEN  UP  IN  CONSTANTINOPLE. 

the  very  beginning  if  the  French  Consul  had  not  meddled 
in  the  business,' — a  very  Turkish  expression,  capable  of 
various  and  opposite  interpretations,  but  which,  at  any 
rate,  showed  his  inadequate  conception  of  the  gravity 
of  the  case :  looking  upon  it  as  he  would  have  done  on 
any  police  affair  of  petty  larceny,  imagining  that  if  the 
article  was  restored,  no  more  need  be  said  about  it,  and 
no  party  be  held  amenable  to  the  accusation  of  sacrilege. 

The  business  was  transferred  to  Constantinople,  and 
the  discussions  between  the  Porte  and  the  Ambassadors 
inevitably  brought  up  that  of  rights  pertaining  to  the 
two  leading  Christian  Churches  in  Jerusalem  and  Bethle- 
hem, as  the  arrangers  of  the  theft  doubtless  intended  it 
should  do — ^rights  which,  so  long  as  the  Turkish  monarch 
abstained  from  disturbing  them  (and  by  no  conceivable 
sort  of  circumstances  could  it  be  imagined  he  would  pre- 
sume to  abrogate  them  in  the  face  of  all  Christendom), 
practically  amounted  to  those  of  actual  property.  The 
Mohammedan  ruler  would  seem  to  have  reserved  to 
himself  no  more  than  the  power  to  adjust  the  conditions 
of  custody. 

The  French  were  the  first  to  moot  the  subject  of  these 
general  claims  in  Constantinople.  This  was  done  in  1850 
when  General  Aupick,  the  ambassador,  appealed  to  the 
Treaty  of  1740  between  Prance  and  the  Porte,  in  which 
the  33rd  article  runs  thus : — 

*  The  Latin  monks  residing  at  present,  as  heretofore, 
within  and  without  Jerusalem,  and  in  the  church  of  the 
Holy  Sepulchre,  called  Edmame,^  shall  continue  to  pos- 

'  Sometimes  in  Turkish  written  Kemameli :  its  real  name  is  Ki&meh,  t.^. 
the  Resurrection.  The  term  employed  in  this  text  is  a  most  opprohrious 
epithet  invented  by  the  Moslem  rulers^ 


FRENCH  CLAIMS  TO  PROTECTORATE  OF  CHRISTIANS.     15 

sess  the  places  of  pilgrimage  which  they  now  possess,  in 
the  same  manner  as  they  have  heretofore  possessed  them ; 
and  they  shall  not  be  molested  by  demands  for  contribu- 
tions ;  and  if  they  should  be  engaged  in  any  law-suit 
which  cannot  be  decided  on  the  spot,  it  shall  be  referred 
to  our  Sublime  Porte.' 

This  treaty,  however,  owing  probably  to  the  political 
events  in  France  during  the  interval,  had  been  long  suf- 
fered to  pass  unnoticed,  while  the  Greek  convents  had 
procured  several  concessions  to  their  advantage ;  yet 
taking  up  the  document  as  it  stands,  and  pointing  to  this 
cited  clause,  we  have  the  topic  still  open  to  discussion,  in 
what  manner,  and  to  what  extent  did  the  Latins  hold  the 
'  places  of  pilgrimage  *  heretofore,  Le.  previous  to  1740. 

General  Aupick  assured  Sir  S.  Canning  that  the  appeal 
for  decision  was  in  nowise  a  political  one ;  it  was  on  a 
mere  question  of  property  already  defined  by  express 
treaty.  But  our  ambassador,  reporting  this  at  home,  saw 
that  it  would  be  extremely  diflScult  to  separate  that  ques- 
tion from  national  politics  and  embarrassments  of  the 
highest  class. 

During  the  discussion  the  French  accused  the  Greek 
ecclesiastics,  among  other  matters,  of  having  some  time 
before  wilfully  destroyed  the  venerable  tombs  of  Godfrey 
de  Bouillon  and  Guy  de  Lusignan. 

The  directions  from  London  were  to  watch  proceed- 
ings, but  in  no  way  to  take  part  in  them. 

At  Jerusalem  the  feeling  was  as  keen  upon  the  subject 
of  the  great  dome  over  the  Sepulchre,  as  upon  any  other. 
The  fact  was  apparent  that  the  dome  had  been  by  re- 
peated acts  rapidly,  and  piece  by  piece,  stripped  of  sheets 


16     DOME  OF  THE  HOLY  SEPULCHRE  WILFULLY  INJURED. 

of  lead  on  its  southern  side ;    each  party,  Latin  and 
Greek,  accused  the  other  of  having  done  this;   but  a 
stranger  might  naturally  ask  what  could  be  the  motive 
for  doing  it  at  all  ?     The  explanation  lies  in  the  maxim 
of  Turkish  law,  that  whosoever  is  owner  of  the  covering 
of  a  house,  is  owner  of  the  house ;  and,  of  course,  the 
owner  has  the  right  or  duty  of  keeping  it  in  repair.  Now 
each  of  these  parties  would  have  been  most  happy  to 
provide  funds  for  obtaining  in  this  way  a  property  so 
much  coveted  :  the  repairing  of  the  cupola  being  allowed 
to  prove  the  right  to  proprietorship.     Both  were  willing 
to  represent  at  Constantinople  the  fact  of  rain  in  the 
winter  season  pouring  down  through  the  dismantled  por- 
tion upon  the  pavement  below,  and  to  call  attention  to 
the  disturbance  of  divine  services  by  the  twittering  of 
numerous  martens  and  swallows  visiting  their  nests  within 
the  dome  and  galleries ;  also  to  the  circumstance  of  the 
huge  timbers  of  the  cupola  having  become  so  rotted  by 
exposure  to  the  weather,  that  danger  to  life  and  limb 
was  imminent  from  the  expected  fall  of  the  same ;  and 
both  parties  were  eager  to  outbid  the  other  in  money  at 
the  Porte  for  licence  to  rebuild. 

This  topic  scarcely,  if  at  all,  appears  in  the  corre- 
spondence laid  before  Parliament. 

It  would  appear  that,  in  official  form^  the  appeal  as  to 
the  Sanctuaries  was  first  laid  before  the  Porte  by  M.  de 
Lavalette,  who  had  at  the  beginning  of  1852  succeeded 
General  Aupick  in  the  embassy. 

By  February  9  the  business  was  so  far  advanced 
that  the  Turks  promised,  in  the  shape  of  a  *  Note,'  to 
concede  to  the  French  the  right  of  officiating  at  the 


FRAKCE  AND  RUSSIA  IN  DISPUTE.  17 

Sepulchre  of  the  Virgin  Mary  near  Gethsemane,  and  to 
leave  all  the  other  points  in  statu  quo  antk.  These  were 
not  satisfied ;  but  after  a  time  agreed  to  the  arrangement 
on  condition  of  the  Ottoman  Government  declaring  the 
old  treaty  of  1740  to  be  still  in  force. 

The  Eussians,  patronising  the  Greek  orthodox  claims 
in  the  dispute,  were  angry  at  so  much  being  conceded  to 
their  rivals,  and  were  only  appeased  by  the  issuing  of  a 
*  Firm&n,'  which  virtually  nullified  the  '  Note  '  given  to 
the  French.  These  in  turn  took  umbrage  at  the  tergiver- 
sation contained  in  the  *  Firman ; '  and  the  Turks,  tortured 
between  the  two,  both  screwing  their  pretensions  by 
threats  to  the  utmost,  at  length  promised  the  French  that 
the  Firm4n  for  the  Orthodox  should  not  be  publicly  read 
in  Jerusalem.  To  the  Eussians  they  promised  to  evade 
delivering  to  the  Latins  the  keys  of  the  Bethlehem  church 
and  of  the  Virgin's  Sepulchre ;  each  device  being  of  course 
kept  secret  from  the  party  which  was  to  lose  by  it.  The 
wonder  is  how  the  Turkish  Dvvkn  could  hope  by  such 
very  short-sighted  expedients  to  content  the  powerful 
parties  before  them ;  for  the  period  would  be  so  very  brief 
before  an  explosion  must  take  place,  leaving  themselves 
in  discredit  and  dishonour  from  both  sides  of  the  appel- 
lants ;  but,  indeed,  the  Ottoman  Government  was  unable 
to  meet  the  peril  of  the  emergency,  should  it  be  pushed 
to  extremity :  they  could  only  hope  for  a  miraculous  in- 
tervention of  Providence  to  aid  them  in  their  duplicity. 

'Afeef  Bey  was  commissioned  by  them  to  execute  at 
Jerusalem  the  opposite  acts  of  the  Council. 

In  the  flush  of  triumph  attained  through  the  Firmdn, 
the  Greek  Patriarch  of  Jerusalem  (who  usually  resides  at 

VOL.  I.  c 


18  'AFEEF  bey  the  TURKISH  COMMISSIONER. 

Constantinople)  repaired  to  his  diocese,  where  he  was  met 
by  M.  Basili,  the  Eussian  Consul-General  of  Syria,  with 
Prince  Garan  (the  latter  bearing  for  the  occasion  the 
nominal  office  of  Vice-Consul)  and  a  suitable  train  of 
minor  officials ;  they  entered  Jerusalem  together  in 
great  pomp  of  reception  by  the  native  community. 

This  was  in  the  first  week  of  September,  and  on  the 
15th  they  were  followed  by  the  important  Commissioner, 
'Afeef  Bey.  On  the  approach  of  the  latter,  the  grandees 
of  the  city,  including  the  two  native  Patriarchs  (Greek 
and  Armenian)  and  the  Pashk  in  person,  rode  out  to  afford 
him  an  honourable  welcome. 

The  next  day  I  paid  him  a  visit,  and  found  him 
a  gentleman  of  refined  address,  tempered  by  habit 
and  office.  He  very  blandly  said  that  he  should  pay 
special  attention  to  any  information  or  counsel  I  might 
be  willing  to  give  him ;  but  it  became  my  duty  to 
assure  him  that  I  was  precluded  from  mixing  ia  the 
transactions  then  in  hand.  And,  indeed,  during  all  the 
time  of  his  stay  I  limited  my  intercourse  with  him  to 
topics  of  common  and  pubhc  attention.  This  was  neces- 
sary, not  on  account  of  any  directions  ad  hocj  received 
from  official  superiors,  for  such  were  generally  very  rare, 
and  in  this  stage  of  proceedings  absolutely  none :  but 
also  from  the  difficulty  of  getting  exact  knowledge  on 
these  matters  from  the  parties  concerned;  and  it  was 
evident,  as  the  double-dealing  of  the  Turks  soon  after- 
wards came  to  lights  that  this  was  the  best  line  of  con- 
duct to  pursue. 

Other  Consuls,  even  those  not  chiefs  in  the  transaction, 
were  not  so  delicate  on  the  subject,  and  among  the  actors 


CHRISTIAN  PATRIAEOHS  AT  THE  HOLt  SEPULCHRE.      19 

of  the  scenes  and  their  adherents,  what  schemings,  what 
heart-palpitations,  what  reservations,  what  guessings  at 
motives,  what  scannings  of  words,  one  by  one,  as  they 
dropped  from  the  Commissioner,  were  set  in  motion 
during  the  last  three  months  of  the  year  1852  I 

On  October  26  'Afeef  Bey  invited  the  Patriarchs  and 
those  Consuls  whose  business  it  became,  to  meet  him  in 
the  Ki&meh,  i.e.  beneath  the  great  dome  and  in  front  of 
the  Holy  Sepulchre.  There  he  made  an  oration,  eulogising 
the  well-known  anxiety  of  His  Imperial  Majesty  the 
Sultan  to  bestow  contentment  on  all  classes  and  degrees  of 
his  subjects,  and  of  which  such  abundant  tokens  had  been 
afforded  to  his  illustrious  allies,  etc.,  etc.,  which  harangue 
he  protracted  till  the  Greek  Patriarch  and  the  Eussian 
Archimandrite  waxed  impatient  for  the  reading  of  the 
Firm&n  which  was  to  secure  them  the  long-expected 
victory. 

Thereupon  the  Bey  invited  all  the  parties  to  meet 
him  again  at  the  Sepulchre  of  the  Virgin,  and  when 
assembled  there  he  slowly  read  in  their  hearing  an  order 
of  the  Sultan  conferring  upon  the  Latins  the  privilege  of 
saying  mass  upon  that  tomb  on  the  usual  commemoration 
day,  from  which  function  they  had  been  many  years  ex- 
cluded :  this  grace  was,  however,  counterbalanced  by  a 
regulation  that  the  altar  and  its  orthodox  ornaments  or 
furniture  were  not  to  be  disturbed  for  that  celebration. 
Here  a  perfect  storm  arose  on  the  part  of  the  Latins  at 
this  qualification  of  their  privilege,  for  they  declared  it 
impossible  to  oflSciate  with  schismatic  vessels  and  a  cruci- 
fix of  uncanonical  material  and  form. 

The  Commissioner  rushed  hastily  out  of  the  hubbub 

0  3 


20  SCENE  AT  THE  VIRGIN'S  SEPULCHRE. 

to  his  lodgings,  but  thither  he  was  pursued  by  the  Rus- 
sians who  now  opened  their  eyes  to  the  momentous  fact 
that  after  all  the  Firm&n  had  not  been  read.  'What 
Firm&n  ?  *  '  Why  that  Firm&n  which  you  yourself  drew 
up  in  my  presence  at  Constantinople/  said  the  Prince 
Vice-Consul.  *  Ah  I  that  Firmftn ;  well  I  must  say  that  I 
have  it  not  with  me.'  Basili  stamped  with  rage,  and  at 
last  'Afeef  Bey  confessed  that  he  had  received  no  in- 
structions to  bring  it,  or  to  communicate  its  contents. 

The  Russians  then  demanded  to  have  a  city  council 
of  the  Moslem  grandees  convened,  with  themselves  and 
the  Greek  Patriarch  present,  at  which  meeting  an  oflScial 
answer  should  be  given  and  recorded  respecting  the 
Firmfi^n.  Poor  old  Hafiz  Pashk  (at  that  time  Governor  of 
Jerusalem)  summoned  the  Effendis  and  the  military  com- 
mandant to  form  the  council ;  but  when  they  came  to- 
gether, there  was  no  commissioner  in  attendance,  and 
the  Pashk  could  only  say  that  he  had  no  power  to  enforce 
the  presence  of  a  commissioner  coming  on  a  special  duty 
direct  from  the  Porte — that  he  knew  nothing  about  the 
business  on  which  M.  Basili  had  desired  them  to  meet ;  he 
only  knew  of  the  Sultan's  benevolent  disposition  towards 
all  classes  and  degrees  of  his  subjects,  etc.,  etc.  And  so 
ended  for  the  moment  the  solemn  farce,  the  details  of 
which  were  given  me  immediately  afterwards  by  one  of 
the  personages  officially  present  on  the  Latin  side,  who 
chuckled  with  admiration  at  the  legerdemain  of  the  Turks 
to  the  confusion  of  both  parties. 

M.  Basili  promptly  dispatched  his  Prince  Vice-Consul 
to  Jafia  to  lay  hold  of  any  Arab  vessel  (shakhtoor)  that 
could  be  got,  for  conveying  the  tidings  to  Constantinople. 

Next  day  I  visited  the  French  Consul,  M.  Botta,  and 


FIRMANS  ARE  NOT  TREATIES.  21 

found  him  profoundly  occupied  in  writing,  surrounded  by 
a  mass  of  protocol-sized  papers  ;  he  was  in  excellent  spirits 
and  said  that,  so  far  from  the  litigation  about  the  Sanctu- 
aries being  terminated,  it  was  only  then  at  its  proper 
beginning,  and  it  certainly  seemed  that  this  opinion  of  so 
laborious  a  worker  in  the  agitation  ought  to  be  considered 
to  a  good  extent  well  founded. 

In  the  above  proceedings  it  was  natural  for  the 
Eussians  to  attach  so  much  importance  to  the  Firm&n, 
seeing  that  in  such  matters  they  had  nothing  but  Firmans 
to  rest  upon,  and  could  have  no  other  documents,  the 
Greeks  of  Jerusalem  being  Eayahs  (subjects  of  the 
Sultan),  while  the  Latin  cause  was  based  upon  the 
superior  obligations  of  a  treaty :  the  difference  is  this> 
that  a  Firm&n  is  a  temporary  grant  from  the  Sultan  to  his 
subjects,  which  may  possibly  on  after  occasions  be  re- 
voked or  changed ;  but  a  treaty  is  a  mutual  covenant 
between  equals,  which  can  only  be  cancelled  by  consent 
of  both  parties. 

The  Turks  then  adroitly  crowned  their  diplomacy,  by 
sending  a  new  silver  star  to  Bethlehem,  as  a  present  from 
the  Sultan,  and  thus  removed  this  dangerous  cause  of 
dispute ;  the  inscription  is  again  in  Latin.^     The  replace- 

^  Does  it  not  seem  incredible  that,  notwithstcmding  all  these  proceedings 
and  the  great  war  that  followed,  the  very  same  sacrilege  should  he  attempted 
afresh  in  1S63  or  1864  P  The  following  is  found  in  Consul  Rhodes's  *  Jeru- 
salem as  it  is'  (London,  1805).  At  Bethlehem  'we  remarked  that  the  nails 
which  secured  the  points  of  the  silver  star  to  the  marble  slab,  on  the  birth- 
place, had  been  drawn  out  and  the  star  loosened.  This  had  been  done  bj 
the  Greeks  the  night  previous  to  our  arrival  with  the  design  of  removing  the 
star,  because  of  the  Latin  inscription  it  bears,  which  is  very  obnoxious  to 
them  ....  The  Greeks,  however,  in  their  attempt  to  tear  off  the  star,  were 
surprised  by  a  body  of  Franciscan  monks,  who  called  in  the  usual  peace- 
makers between  the  quarrelling  Christians  of  Palestine,  the  Turkish  soldiers, 
who  at  once  put  a  stop  to  the  vandalism.'    (P.  122.) 


22      KEYS  GIVEN  TO  THE  LATINS.     ANGER  OF  RUSSIA. 

ment  was  performed  with  much  ceremony  by  the  Latin 
Patriarch,  to  the  infinite  delight  of  his  spiritual  subjects, 
three  days  before  Christmas,  so  as  to  be  ready  for  the 
midnight  Mass.  At  the  same  time  the  keys  of  both  the 
great  church  there,  and  of  the  Crypt  of  the  Holy  Manger, 
were  delivered  to  the  Latins  by  the  Commissioner,  whose 
labours  thus  were  closed. 

The  anger  and  disappointment  of  the  Orthodox  Church 
both  in  Syria  and  Eussia  were  extreme.  Our  Parlia- 
mentary Blue-Books  describe  the  state  of  mind  of  the 
great  Czar  at  this  betrayal  of  what  he  considered  his 
rights;  and  the  despatch  to  Baron  Brunnow  declaring 
the  Imperial  sentiment  was  immediately  followed  by  the 
march  of  the  fifth  corps  darmee  to  the  frontier  of  the 
Danube,  to  be  followed  again  by  the  fourth,  the  total 
amounting  to  144,000  men,  and  shortly  afterwards,  during 
the  Austrian  remonstrance  against  the  Turks  putting  down 
by  force  the  insurrection  of  Montenegro  (or  Kara-dagh,  in 
Turkish),  the  Russians  took  the  opportunity  of  grafting 
upon  that  remonstrance  (which,  however,  did  not  belong 
to  them,  being  entirely  an  Austrian  question)  a  protest 
and  threat  of  their  own;  but  these  are  matters  of 
European  history  rather  than  ours,  and  would  have  been 
so  exclusively,  had  not  the  Czar  appended  to  the  instruc- 
tions given  to  their  mission  extraordinary  at  Constanti- 
nople the  subject  of  the  Holy  places  in  Palestine. 

The  connecting  link  between  Montenegro  and  Jeru- 
salem was  a  thread  of  extreme  tenuity,  scarcely  percep- 
tible without  explanation,  namely  that  in  both  localities 
the  Turks  were  supposed  to  be  oppressors  of  Christianity 
under  the  form  of  that  orthodox  creed  which  Bussia 
upholds. 


PRINCE  MENSHIKOFP  AND  BRITISH  AMBASSADOR.      23 

The  European  politics  of  the  Latin  cause  received  an 
additional  impetus  at  the  same  tilne  from  the  elevation  of 
Louis  Napoleon  to  the  Empire  of  the  French,  a  circum- 
stance which  undoubtedly  threw  immense  weight  into 
that  scale. 

Prince  Menshikoff  arrived  at  Constantinople  on  the 
special  mission  with  the  new  year  1853,  during  the 
absence  of  the  chiefs  of  both  French  and  English 
Embassies.  The  comportment  of  the  Prince  forms  an 
episode  in  history  not  easily  forgotten  by  students  of  the 
Blue-Books,  or  of  the  pictorial  pages  of  Kinglake. 

The  English  Ambassador,  now  raised  to  the  peerage, 
returned  from  London  just  in  time  to  mediate,  at  their  own 
request,  between  the  disputants  for  the  Holy  places,  with 
respect  to  which  two  great  points  had  been  already  de- 
cided : — L  The  silver  star  and  the  keys  of  Bethlehem ; 
2.  The  annual  service  at  the  Virgin's  Sepulchre.  But 
some  delicate  though  minor  items  were  as  yet  unsettled. 
They  were  matters  chiefly  of  routine  or  precedence  which 
the  outside  world  would  regard  as  of  little  value,  but 
which  were  not  so  considered  by  the  heated  parties 
engaged  about  them.  In  little  more  than  a  fortnight  all 
was  concluded  upon  a  footing  which  stiU  subsists,  and 
is  likely  to  do  so  until  some  national  convulsion,  such  as 
a  European  conquest  of  Syria,  shall  require  a  new  arrange- 
ment. 

The  Sultan's  share  in  the  happy  termination  amounted 
to  this,  that  the  silver  star  was  to  be  looked  upon  as  his 
donation,  without  conferring  any  exclusive  right  upon 
the  Latins  notwithstanding  the  language  of  its  inscription, 
and  the  great  Cupola  of  the  Ki&meh  was  to  be  repaired  at 


24  DISPUTE  SETTLED. 

his  cost,  without  alteration  in  its  forra.^  And  thus  ended 
the  controversy  upon  Convent  privileges  or  rights  in 
Jerusalem  and  Bethlehem,  April  22, 1853. 

Yet  the  matter  of  Christian  protection  in  Turkey  by 
Europeans,  which  had  been  called  up,  now  showed  itself 
like  the  cockatrice  from  the  serpent's  root  CIsaiah  xvi.  29). 
The  simile  of  a  Phoenix  springing  from  the  ashes  of  its 
predecessor  would  not  here  apply,  inasmuch  as  the  new 
apparition  was  no  creature  of  beauty,  but  a  ghastly 
monster  which  arose,  menacing  sorrow  and  destruction  to 
large  hosts  of  mankind. 

In  this  sketch  of  Palestine  during  the  Eussian  war  it 
is  not  intended  to  discuss  the  politics  of  London,  Paris, 
St.  Petersburg,  Constantinople  or  Vienna :  these  can  be 
suflSciently  learned  elsewhere,  and  indeed  they  were  not 
clearly  understood  at  the  time  in  Jerusalem,  excepting 
such  incidents  as  the  never-to-be-forgotten  conversations 
of  the  Czar  with  Sir  H.  Seymour  respecting  *  the  sick  man,' 
and  the  division  of  his  property — the  proceedings  of 
Prince  Menshikoff  at  the  Porte,  and  the  fate  that  befell 
his  ultimatum.  In  the  expected  dislocation  of  Eastern 
aflairs  we  should  probably  have  been  surprised  at  no 
unusual  occurrence,  hardly  perhaps  at  a  French  or 
Russian  invasion,  which,  however,  among  oflScials,  was  a 
topic  kept  out  of  conversation :  of  rumours  we  had  an 
ample  fci^iDply.  Those  were  not  the  days  for  us  of  daily 
telegraphic  oe^mtches,  but  the  uneasy  pubhc  mind  re- 
quired food  for  s^culation.     That  food  was  provided  by 

»  This  item  was  afteiwards  modified  by  consent  of  aU  concerned.  The 
dome  was  repaired  and  Tl^hXy  decorated  in  1869,  at  the  joint  expense  of  the 
three  Emperors  (French,  Russian,  and  Turlrish),  after  protracted  delays  since 
the  project  was  first  hrouLht  forward. 

I 


RUMOURS  OF  WAR.  GUNPOWDER  SMUGGLED.   25 

foreign  consuls  and  their  dependants,  by  travellers,  by 
the  convents,  and  by  the  Turkish  employes  or  bazaar 
newsmongers.  Strange  was  the  medley;  and  feverish 
restlessness  was  the  effect  created. 

Sometimes  the  German  Consular  folk  circulated 
(often  prematurely)  inconsistent  intelligence  about  Eussia 
and  Austria  at  Constantinople ;  for  the  after  policy  of  the 
German  Powers  was  not  at  that  time  exactly  defined. 
Then  a  traveller  from  the  United  States  reported  what  he 
had  seen  of  the  French  fleet  at  Toulon,  where  there  were 
thirty-seven  ships  of  the  line,  four  of  them  above  120  guns 
each,  ready  to  set  sail  at  command  in  thirty  minutes. 

Again  in  the  middle  of  April,  at  Jaffa,  an  attempt  was 
discovered  to  smuggle  in  twenty-three  barrels  of  gun- 
powder by  a  Bethlehemite  of  the  Greek  rite  ;  the  powder 
was  seized  and  sequestrated  into  the  castle  there ;  the 
lighterman  was  imprisoned,  ki  such  a  crisis  the  circum- 
stance was  not  without  its  significancy.  Were  the  native 
Greeks  preparing  to  help  the  Eussian  cause  directly,  or 
only  indirectly,  by  selling  gunpowder  to  the  peasantry  and 
thus  promoting  their  faction  fights,  by  which  the  country 
might  be  thrown  into  a  state  of  anarchy?  About  the 
same  time  our  English  travellers  in  the  hotel  became 
accustomed,  as  I  w«s  told,  to  indulge  in  plain  speaking  on 
the  subject  of  Eussian  spies.  This  was  done  with  unusual 
emphasis  one  day,  expressing  a  hope  that  if  there  should 
be  any  such  unhappy  persons  among  the  strangers  present, 
they  should  hear  something  that  might  do  them  good ; 
and  at  that  moment  a  gentleman,  not  English,  was  seated  in 
a  comer  of  the  long  sofa,  reading  my  '  Britannia '  news- 
paper, which  had  been  sent  down  for  travellers'   use. 


26  RUSSIAN  EMBASSY  LEAVES  THE  CAPITAL. 

The  speakers  went  on,  each  one  retailing  anecdotes  that 
had  come  to  his  knowledge  while  traversing  the  conti- 
nent  of  Europe,  about  spies  frequenting  the  '  tables  d'h6te.' 
Thus  was  mere  daily  chat  infected  with  the  all-pervading 
topic. 

Next  in  the  same  month  of  April  we  learned  from 
*the  ordinary,  sources  of  public  intelligence'  that  the 
authorities  in  Trieste  were  carrying  out  martial  law  with 
vigour  against  the  English,  as  well  as  against  the  inhabi- 
tants of  the  place,  but  that  had  possibly  no  immediate 
connection  with  the  great  Eastern  question  which  ab- 
sorbed our  attention.     War  gossip  filled  the  air. 

Then,  at  the  end  of  May,  we  were  assured  that  H.  E. 
Easheed  Pashk  being  again  in  office  as  Grand  Vizier,  war 
had  been  declared  by  Turkey  against  Kussia.  The 
French  and  Prussian  Consuls  were  positive  on  the  sub- 
ject, but  the  Austrian  was  diplomatically  not  so  certain. 
On  the  contrary,  June  3,  Count  Nostitz,  commander  of  a 
Eussian  ship  of  war,  on  his  arrival  told  us  that  he  had 
left  Alexandria  on  the  21st  ult.,  where  at  that  date 
they  had  not  heard  of  Prince  Menshikoff  leaving  Con- 
stantinople. 

On  the  7th  we  heard  for  certain  that  the  Bussian 
Embassy  had  left  the  capital ;  but  it  was  said  that  this  did 
not  of  itself  amount  to  a  declaration  of  war. 

The  Austrian  Consul  was  now  sure  that  hostilities 
were  to  commence  on  the  3rd  of  Bairam  (probably  this 
meant  Shawwal),  that  is  to  say  after  the  lapse  of  a  month, 
as  it  was  probable  the  'Ul^ma  calculated  upon  that  being 
a  fortunate  day  for  beginning  so  weighty  an  enterprise. 
At  last  on  the  13th  came  intelligence  of  importance,  for 


RUSSIAN  INVASION  OF  THE  PMNCIPALmES.         27 

we  learned  that  the  Muscovites  had  entered  the  Danubian 
principalities  on  the  27th  ult.,  and  that  as  this  move  very 
seriously  concerned  Austria  as  well  as  Turkey,  the  former 
had  found  it  necessary  to  adopt  correspondent  action, 
and  had  pronounced  itself  to  be  in  alliance  with  England 
and  France.  Prussia  was  said  to  have  done  so  a  fortnight 
earlier,  but  no  Power  had  as  yet  in  form  declared  war. 
In  reality,  however,  the  tedious  Vienna  conferences 
dragged  on  for  three  months  longer,  with  the  aim  of 
averting  if  possible  the  evils  of  warfare  upon  so  large  a 
scale  as  was  impending  over  us. 

On  receipt  of  the  tidings  that  Eussia  had  really  in- 
vaded the  principalities,  I  sent  to  the  Eussian  Archiman- 
drite Porphyrios,  enquiring  if  the  news  could  be  depended 
on.  He  replied  that  their  army  had  really  entered 
Wallachia  (as  the  two  provinces  were  then  usually  called 
throughout  Turkey),  and,  pointing  to  luggage  lying  ready 
for  transport  upon  mules  and  camels,  said,  '  See  I  am 
preparing  to  leave  you  at  a  minute's  notice.' 

That  day  the  French  and  Prussian  Consuls  went  off  to 
Bayroot  and  Constantinople  in  search  of  information  and 
instructions  as  to  conduct ;  they  remained  about  three 
weeks  absent. 


28 


CHAPTER  n. 

THE   PARTIES   IN  DISPUTE — GREEKS   ATO)   LATINS — 
THE  EASTERN  AND   THE  WESTERN   CHURCH — THEIR  HISTORY. 

Greek  Church  regarded  by  the  Turks  as  Church  of  the  country,  since  Con- 
quest by  Omar,  CdiV-Oreeks  in  Palestine  consist  of  native  laity  and 
parish  priests,  with  foreign  Greek  higher  clergy  and  bishops — Crusades  to 
them  a  'Papal  Aggression* — Natives  of  Palestine  excluded  from  the 
monasteries — ^Hence  all  the  Higher  Cleiyry  are  Foreign  Greeks — (h«ek 
Convent,  i.e.  'Dair-er-Room* — Patriarchate — Patriarch  Cyril — Wealth  of 
the  Convents — House  property  in  Jerusalem  and  Lands  beyond  the 
Walls — Archimandrite  Nikephoros — Greek  Church  at  the  Holy  Sepulchre 
— Russian  Gold  in  the  Bazaars — Armenians,  their  Convent  and  Patri- 
arch— Their  supreme  Pontiff,  the  Cathoghigos  at  Utch-Miazin,  now  a 
Russian  subject — ^Russian  Church — Byzantine  Empire  new  Rome — Syrian, 
Coptic  and  Abyssinian  Churches  in  Jerusalem — Latin  or  Western  Church 
— Old  Rome  —  Latin  Patriarch  of  Jerusalem— Crusades — Franciscan 
Friars  established  in  Jerusalem  and  Bethlehem,  1234 — '  Terra-Santa'  Pil- 
grimages— Latin  Convents — Alms  from  Europe — Casa-Nuova  Hospice — 
Convent  Authorities — Statistics — Latin  Festivals  at  various  Sanctuaries 
— Pilgrim  Certificate — ^Revival  of  Latin  Patriarchate  in  1848 — Monsignor 
Joseph  Valesga — His  State  entry  into  Jerusalem — First  public  Latin 
ceremonial  since  fall  of  the  Crusading  Kingdom — Position  of  the  Latin 
Patriarch  towards  other  Churches,  and  towards  the  Latin  Terra-Santa 
Convents — Licence  to  a  Priest — Ship's  Patent  for  Terra  Santa. 

Before  proceeding  with  a  narrative  of  events,  it  may  be 
as  well  to  remind  ourselves  with  special  clearness  as  to 
who  were  the  parties  in  dispute  for  the  Holy  places,  and 
how  they  were  circumstanced. 

In  common  parlance  they  are  designated  the  Latins 
and  the  Greeks — i.e.  the  '  Catholic '  and  the  '  Orthodox ' 


THE  GREEK  CHURCH  IN  PALESTINE.  29 

churches,  respectively — ^whether  correctly  so  named  with 
regard  to  theology  is  not  our  concern ;  but  such  are  their 
self-assumed  appellations.  The  Greek  Church  was  re- 
garded by  the  Turkish  Government  as  the  church  of  the 
country,  estabhshed  before  the  Moslem  conquest  by 
Omar. 

In  Jerusalem  the  Greek  commimion  consists  of  native 
(Palestine)  laity  and  their  parish  clergy,  with  foreign,  that 
is  to  say,  real  Greek  archimandrites  and  bishops  presiding 
over  them.  These  people,  as  a  Church,  are  representatives 
of  the  primitive  Hebrew  and  Syrian  Christians  of  the 
coimtry,  and  also  of  the  Greek  Christian  Empire,  in 
succession  of  race,  church,  language,  and  residence.  They 
are  the  same  community  that  held  out  Jerusalem  against 
the  Caliph  Omar,  and  with  whom,  on  their  surrender,  he 
made  his  treaty  of  capitulation,  a.d.  636.  The  fullest 
account  of  their  ecclesiastical  organisation  is  to  be  found 
in  Williams's  *  Holy  City,'  second  edition. 

To  them  the  period  of  the  Crusades,  beginning  in  the 
eleventh  century,  was  one  of  sheer  disaster.  It  was  one 
of  '  P^tpal  aggression,'  for  the  Latin  Church  then  became 
dominant  under  a  Latin  Patriarch,  and  their  '  Orthodox  * 
clergy,  being  displaced,  took  refuge  at  first  in  Petra,  then 
elsewhere  as  they  could  find  shelter ;  but  on  the  restora- 
tion of  Moslem  rule  by  Saladin,  the  native  Christians 
received  once  more  their  proper  clergy,  smiling,  we  may 
suppose,  at  their  departing  oppressors  styling  themsleves 
'  Catholic; 

In  the  sixteenth  century  the  Orthodox  Committee  in 
Constantinople,  which  is  named  the  '  Brethren  of  the 
Holy  Sepulchre,'  under  their  Patriarch  Germanus,  passed 


30     THE  GREEK  PATRIARCH  OF  JERUSALEM. 

enactments  excluding  natives  of  Palestine  from  their 
monasteries  for  ever,  and  whereas  in  this,  as  in  all  Oriental 
churches,  the  bishops  and  other  dignitaries  are  elected 
from  among  the  monks  only,  the  natives  are  thus  ren- 
dered incapable  of  attaining  to  office  or  dignity  ecclesias- 
tical ;  they  can  only  become  secular  clergy,  that  is  to  say, 
parish  curates,  who  are  commonly  married  men,  miserably 
poor. 

It  so  comes  to  pass  that  the  entire  administration  of 
this  ancient  church  throughout  Palestine  is  understood  to 
be  in  the  hands  of  the  '  Dair-er-Boom,'  i.e.  the  Greek 
convent,  the  popular  concrete  designation  of  the  whole. 

The  Patriarch  of  Jerusalem,  ruling  over  the  territories 
of  Palestine,  Phoenicia,  Idumaea,  and  Arabia  Petrasa,  is 
always  a  foreigner,  and  almost  always  an  absentee  at 
Constantinople,  conducting  politics  and  intrigues  with  the 
Porte. 

The  Greek  Patriarch  in  1853  was  Cyril,  a  fine  old 
gentleman  of  great  urbanity  of  manner — self-possessed 
and  dignified — not  easily  to  be  forgotten  by  anyone  whom 
he  received  in  the  spacious  rooms  of  the  Greek  convent, 
where  he  lived  when  in  Jerusalem.  The  great  divan  of 
scarlet,  over  which  was  spread  a  leopard-skin,  was  in 
good  keeping  with  the  stately  figure  of  the  Patriarch,  in 
his  robes  of  rich  black  satin,  with  immense  diamonds 
and  emeralds  surrounding  the  enamel  painting  of  the 
Eedeemer  on  his  breast. 

The  Greek  convent  is  to  the  Moslems  and  Turks  the 
representative  body  of  this  chief  among  the  Christian 
communities,  as  they  naturally  regard  the  Greek  Church, 
which  was  the  one  in  possession  when  Omar  conquered 


THE  CHRISTIAN  CONVENTS.  31 

Jerusalem,  and  with  whom  the  terms  of  capitulation  were 
arranged.  The  other  Churches  have  also  their  respective 
convents. 

All  the  convents — Greek,  Latin,  and  Armenian — 
possess  untold  riches  in  jewels  and  goi^eous  vestments,  the 
presents  of  foreign  monarchs  or  other  great  benefactors 
— the  vestments  more  numerous  than  can  be  crowded 
for  exhibition  into  any  single  celebration  with  however 
many  changes  of  mitres,  dalmatics,  or  chasubles.  Those 
of  the  Latin  convent  were  in  modem  times  derived  mostly 
from  Spain  and  Austria.  The  Greek  and  Armenian 
convents  receive  costly  presents  from  Eussia,  and  from 
wealthy  votaries  in  Constantinople.  The  latter  has  re- 
sources also  among  the  richest  merchants  of  their  com- 
munity in  Ladia. 

These  Oriental  convents  lay  up  vast  stores  annually 
of  food  and  fuel,  which  their  funds  and  influence  enable 
them  to  procure  from  the  villages  at  peculiar  advantage. 
It  need  scarcely  be  added  that  the  dignity  of  these  insti- 
tutions is  paramount  among  the  laity  of  their  respective 
communions,  and  was  much  more  so  in  the  old  times, 
when  these  had  no  other  protectors  from  the  tyranny  and 
rapacity  of  the  dominant  Moslems. 

Even  at  this  day,  though  with  less  of  irregularity, 
the  Efiendis  of  the  town-council,  together  with  those 
holding  oflSces  of  governmental  trust,  such  as  police,  etc., 
derive  considerable  emoluments  from  the  dissensions 
among  these  establishments,  which  have  so  much  money 
at  command,  and  are  always  soliciting  their  votes  and 
patronage  in  the  council. 

The  Greek  convents  in   Jerusalem  are  numerous, 


32  GREEK  HOUSE  PROPERTY  AND  LANDS. 

chiefly  for  residence  of  men,  and  the  principal  one  is  that 
of  '  Constantine ; '  the '  monks  live  well,  and  show  the 
effects  of  it  in  their  portly  presence ;  also  when  they  ride 
abroad,  and  that  is  not  uncommon,  they  display  the  best 
horses  that  can  be  procured,  short  of  the  'Aseeleh  class 
of  the  wilderness ;  or  if  mounted  on  mules,  as  old  men 
may  be  seen  mounted,  they  must  have  showy  trappings. 

It  is  unnecessary  to  describe  in  detail  the  several 
churches  or  other  property  belonging  to  this  corporation 
within  the  walls  further  than  to  say  that,  besides  main- 
taining without  diminution  its  ancient  property,  it  has 
for  several  years  past  pursued  a  scheme  of  buying  up 
houses,  or  shops,  or  waste  ground,  or  even  fractions 
(kir&ts  or  twenty- fourth  parts)  of  such  properties  all  over 
the  city  indiscriminately,  till  it  is  believed  that  more  than 
a  quarter  of  the  whole  has  come  into  their  hands  as  free- 
hold piurchase. 

Without  the  walls  the  *  Greek  Convent '  has,  more- 
over, of  late  years  made  large  acquisitions  of  land,  which 
have  been  carefully  dressed  and  planted,  mostly  with  mul- 
berry trees  for  supply  of  silk  works,  a  very  praiseworthy 
undertaking.  This  species  of  property,  together  with 
the  employment  of  the  peasantry  which  the  cultivation 
of  it  necessarily  requires,  gives  them  an  influence  among 
the  rural  population  which  other  parties  would  be  glad 
to  obtain  ;  while  their  town  acquisitions  and  their  mone- 
tary wealth,  freely  used  in  the  several  judicial  courts  of 
local  government,  tell  also  in  this  latter  direction,  till  the 
very  name  of  '  Dair-er-Eoom '  becomes  a  tahsman  of 
power  far  outside  the  circle  of  its  ecclesiastical  concerns. 

Among  the  rules  of  this  corporation  it .  may  be  noted 


GREEK  CHURCH  AT  THE  HOLY  SEPULCHRE.        33 

■ 

that,  on  embracing  the  monastic  profession,  the  votaries 
are  not  boxmd  by  a  vow  of  poverty :  consequently  they 
retain  their  former  possessions  during  life  ;  at  death,  how- 
ever, property  falls  into  the  general  fund.  Thus  it  hap- 
pens that  when  Archimandrite  Nikephoros,  or  Priest  Ben- 
jamin, purchases  and  improves  lands  (for  such  persons, 
being  natives  of  the  Turkish  Archipelago,  are,  like  other 
subjects  of  the  Porte,  at  Uberty  to  purchase  and  hold  lands 
or  houses),  they  have  a  life-interest  in  the  same,  and  in 
the  process  of  improvement,  they  are  preparing  the  estate 
to  come  to  the  Convent  in  better  condition  at  their 
decease. 

The  large  and  gorgeously  decorated  Greek  church, 
standing  among  the  other  places  of  worship  which  are 
grouped  around  the  Holy  Sepulchre,  togetlier  with  their 
multitudinous  pilgrims  annually  collected  from  many  parts 
of  the  world,  and  their  splendid  processions,  all  these 
give  likewise  to  the  '  Orthodox '  community  a  great  and 
envied  position  in  the  Holy  City,  besides  the  circumstance 
of  having  had  at  all  times  so  conspicuous  a  share  in 
guardianship  of  the  Sanctuaries  at  Jerusalem,  Bethlehem, 
and  Nazareth.  The  Greek  authorities  were  anxious,  when 
the  war  broke  out,  to  remind  all  with  whom  they  came 
into  contact,  thatat  this  juncture  they  were  loyal  subjects 
of  the  Porte,  and  were  no  more  dependants  of  Eussia. 
Still  it  seemed  that  they  must  have  some  regard  for  that 
nation,  of  a  kindred  faith,  who  annually  contributed  for 
maintenance  of  the  Sanctuaries  no  less  a  sum  than  3,000i. 
a  year. 

Eussian  gold  five-rouble  pieces  had  been  well  knqwn 
and  very  common  in  Jerusalem  three  years  before  the 

VOL.   L  D 


34      RUSSIAN  GOLD.      ARMENIANS.     RUSSIAN  CHURCH. 

Crimean  war.  Indeed,  at  times  no  other  coin  of  about 
the  same  value  was  in  ordinary  circulation  in  the  bazaars. 
From  1848  onwards -much  of  this  gold  passed  through 
the  hands  of  the  Archimandrite  Nikephoros,  whom  the 
peasantry  on  this  account  called  *  Aboo  Dhahab ' — '  The 
Father  of  Gold.' 

The  Greeks  were  in  reality  not  wiUing  to  come  abso- 
lutely under  the  yoke  and  dominion  of  Kussia,  while  on 
the  other  hand  some  portion,  at  least,  of  the  Eussian 
people  regarded  this  invasion  of  Turkey  as  entering  into 
the  *  old  Byzantine '  '  new  Eoman '  Empire,  and  the  Czar 
as  its  lineal  and  natural  sovereign,  even  irrespective  of 
his  being  the  head  of  the  Church.  They  also  regarded 
the  Franks  as  schismatics. 

It  does  not  belong  to  this  subject  of  the  world's  de- 
bate of  1853-6  to  make  reference  hereto  the  other  oriental 
Christian  churches,  beyond  mentioning  that  the  wealthy 
and  powerful  Armenian  Convent,  with  its  resident 
Patriarch,  having  its  Supreme  Pontiff,  the  Cathoghigos,  at 
XJtch-Miazin,  within  the  limits  of  modern  Eussia,  may  be 
not  unfairly  judged  to  entertain  some  favourable  inclina- 
tion towards  the  Czar's  interests;  they,  however,  in 
Jerusalem  professed  extreme  loyalty  to  the  Turkish 
Sultan. 

The  established  church  of  Eussia  is  a  daughter  of  the 
Holy  Orthodox  Apostolical  communion,  that  is  to  say, 
of  the  Greek  Church  here  under  consideration,  by  having 
received  therefrom  its  early  Christianity ;  hence  it  is  that 
the  Emperor  of  all  the  Eussias,  with  his  huge  political 
might,  pays  particular  respect  to  the  Church  at  Jerusalem, 
and  has  long  been  in  the  habit  of  bestowing  upon  it  pre- 


SYRIANS.     COPTS.      ABYSSINIANS.      THE  lATTXS.      35  I 


sents  not  only  of  money,  but  of  church  furnitiu-e  and 
church  pictures,  besides  employing  to  his  utmost  extent 
an  active  interference  on  its  behalf  with  the  Turkish 
government,  to  which  by  far  the  greatest  portion  of  the 
Orthodox  Church  is  subject  in  European  and  other  pro- 
vinces, as  well  as  in  the  Holy  City,  Jerusalem.  We  have 
seen  a  church  picture  with  a  Kussian  inscription  on  its 
frame  at  the  solitary  town  of  Es-Salt,  in  the  wilderness 
beyond  Jordan. 

There  were  other  churches  represented  in  the  Holy 
Gty,  who  were  not  involved  in  the  great  controversy. 
Among  these  was  the  ancient  Syrian  Church,  which  claims 
to  be  the  Primitive  Gentile  Church  founded  at  Antioch  by 
the  Apostles,  and  considers  the  Greek  Church  much  in  the 
light  of  a  usurper,  which,  after  the  accession  to  Empire 
of  C/onstan tine,  despoiled  it  of  the  very  Sanctuaries  now 
in  dispute.  There  were  also  the  African  Churches,  the 
Coptic  and  the  Abyssinian,  also  very  ancient,  and  these 
too  had  suffered  hard  usage  in  past  times  from  both  the 
great  antagonists.  They  all  now  looked  on,  wondering 
whereunto  these  things  would  grow. 

The  Latin  or  Western  Church. 

The  Western  Church — now  as  heretofore  the  great 
antagonist  of  the  Greek  Church — ^had  only  been  brought 
into  contact  with  the  Moslem  rulers  of  the  Land  at  the 
Crusades.  On  the  great  schism  of  Eastern  and  Western 
Christendom  in  the  ninth  century,  the  latter  division, 
broadly  speaking,  was  limited  to  Europe :  it  had  Latin 
for  its  language  instead  of  Greek,  and  the  city  of  Old 
Eome  for  its  metropolis. 

I)  2 


3G      THE  LATIN   CHURCH  IN   PALESTINE.    FRANCISCANS. 

Among  the  confused  historical  notices  that  we  have 
of  times  in  early  succession  to  the  Mohammedan  conquest 
of  Jerusalem,  it  appears  that,  during  the  seventh  and 
eighth  centuries^  the  native  Church  of  Palestine  became 
so  disordered  in  discipline  (I  omit  considerations  of  doc- 
trine) that  the  Pope  of  Kome  was  frequently  appealed  to 
for  nomination  of  their  Patriarchs,  and  accordingly 
several  were  installed  upon  a  Eoman  appointment.  This 
was  a  perilous  state  of  things,  but  afterwards  the  Church 
recovered  her  freedom  of  action,  which  she  retained  till 
the  era  of  the  Crusades.  Diuing  the  continuance  of  the 
Latin  kingdom  (less  than  a  century),  her  official  frame- 
work *  could  only  be  preserved  at  a  distance,  as  before 
stated. 

Under  the  Latin  kings  and  Crusaders  the  Franciscan 
friars,  of  the  Order  '  Minores  observantes,'  set  up  orato- 
ries for  themselves  in  Jerusalem  and  Bethlehem,  a.d. 
1234,  six  years  after  the  original  foundation  of  the 
Franciscan  brotherhood.  They  have  ever  since  held  part 
possession  of  those  stations,  watching  at  the  Holy  Manger 
and  the  Holy  Sepulchre  by  supplies  of  a  few  brethren 
at  a  time  coming  from  Europe,  amidst  persecution  or 
sometimes  martyrdom,  alternated  by  occasional  grants  or 
favours  conferred  by  the  Moslem  government  at  the  inter- 
cession of  the  French  ambassadors. 

But  such  sufferings  they  only  shared  in  common  with 
the  Greek  monks. 

In  a  retrospection  through  *  the  Dark  Ages '  no  in- 
dication is  found  of  the  Latins  being  at  any  time  the  ex- 
clusive custodians  of  the  Christian  Sanctuaries — only  we 
have  their  own  designation  of  themselves  as  the  '  Terra 


TERRA  SANTA.      LATIN  PILGRIMS.  37 

Santa.'  The  presumption  would  naturally  lean  the  other 
way  in  &vour  of  the  subjects  of  the  local  dominion,  and 
this  view  would  seem  to  be  borne  out  by  a  passage  that 
has  been  cited  from  the  *  Travels  of  Archbishop  David  of 
Ephesus,'  A.D.  1470,  in  which,  after  details  concerning 
sanctuaries  and  ceremonials  in  Bethlehem,  he  adds  these 
words,  *  The  heterodox  likewise  enter  here  and  have  divine 
service  in  the  holy  place  itself ; '  ^  evidently  meaning  the 
Latins,  as  if  their  separate  services  were  allowed  as  an 
indulgence.  It  was  clearly  his  opinion  that  the  Franks 
were  only  there  upon  sufferance. 

During  the  after  periods,  every  book  of  travels  by 
Europeans  gives  us  notice  of  the  existence  of  the  Terra- 
Santa  friars ;  as  in  fact  their  hospices  were  the  only  places 
where  the  writers  could  find  lodging,  and  into  their  ears 
the  unhappy  inmates  were  accustomed  to  *  pour  the  sad 
tale  of  all  their  cares,'  describing  the  ill-usage  received 
from  both  their  Mohammedan  tyrants  in  city  and  country, 
and  from  their  rivals,  the  Oriental  Christians.  With  re- 
spect to  the  former  we  have  Niebuhr,  in  1761,  saying 
thus : — *  The  European  monks,  who  are  now  the  only 
pilgrims  that  visit  the  Holy  Land,  describe  those  Arabs 
(between  Eamlah  and  Jerusalem)  as  devils  incarnate,  and 
complain  dolefully  of  their  cruelty  to  the  poor  Christians. 
Those  lamentations,  and  the  superstitious  piety  of  good 
souls  in  Europe,  procure  large  ^ms  to  the  convent  of 
Franciscans  at  Jerusalem.  The  exaggerated  relations  of 
the  sufferings  of  the  pilgrims,  from  those  inhuman 
Bedouins,  will  therefore  be  continued  as  long  as  they  can 
serve  the  purpose  for  which  they  were  intended.' 

^  Aia  T^  Koi  Tov$  rr€podo|ovf   cV  avr^   r^  dyi»  roxr^   citrcpp^co-^ai   Koi 


38  FliANCISCAN  CONVENTS  AND  CHURCHES. 

And  with  regard  to  the  latter,  we  find  in  the '  Prospetto 
generale  dei  Francescani,  da  1768  sino  1856/  the 
piercing  putcry  that  '  il  santissimo  sepolcro  sta  in  com- 
mune con  i  Qreci  ed  Armeni  scismatici.  Ahi  dolore ! — 
gli  scismatici  semper parati  adprcedam' 

In  1570  the  Tm-kish  rulers  expelled  the  Franciscans 
from  their  house  at  Nebi  Daood  on  Mount  Zion,  where 
the  coenaculum  (or  apartment  of  the  original  Lord's 
Supper)  formed  part  of  their  establishment ;  there  they 
had  been  since  1365,  and  they  removed  to  the  spacious 
building  which  they  now  hold  close  against  the  city  wall, 
inside  on  the  north-west ;  they  always,  however,  repre- 
sent this  removal  as  a  case  of  persecution,  for  the  coena- 
culum is  regarded  by  them  as  the  oldest  possible  house 
of  distinctive  Christian  worship  in  the  world,  the  site 
where  Mass  was  first  celebrated,  and  that  by  our  Lord 
himself.  They  have,  however,  purchased  a  privilege  of 
holding  occasional  services  in  that  chamber,  and  of  per- 
mission to  conduct  pilgrims  thither. 

At  Eamlah,  a  Spanish  convent  of  the  same  Order  was 
annexed  to  the  hospice  at  the  beginning  of  the  eighteenth 
century. 

During  the  French  revolution,  the  friars  were  made 
to  suffer  on  account  of  their  prior  dependance  for  outside 
protection  upon  the  French  nation,  at  that  time  in  a  state 
of  hostility  to  the  Ottoman  Porte  ;  most  of  their  hospices 
and  some  churches  were  demohshed,  such  as  those  of  the 
Flagellation  in  Jerusalem,  St.  Peter  at  Tiberias,  and  the 
hospice  in  St.  Jean  d'Acre.  The  community  was  of  course 
subjected,  as  they  had  been  long  before,  to  avanias^  which 
are  forced  contributions  of  money,  levied  at  random  times, 


FRIARS  IN  FORMER  DAYS.  39 

and  often  without  any  other  reason  assigned  than  sic  volo^ 
sicjubeo. 

After  that  period,  as  travelling  eastwards  became  less 
rare,  and  reading  more  common,  complaints  are  found  in 
books  of  travels,  of  the  ignorance,  bigotry,  and  self-indul- 
gence of  these  same  friars.     Thus  Lamartine,  about  1830 
(vol.  ii.,  p.  59),  describes  them  as  the  lowest  peasants  of 
Spain  or  Italy,  some  as  runaway  conscripts,  or  political 
refugees,  wasting  away  life  in  indolence,  having  no  other 
employment  than  keeping  up  the  routine  of  chapel  ser- 
vices, walking  on  the  terraces  or  roofs,  or  framing  cabals, 
Spaniards   against    Italians,    or  the   converse ;    entirely 
ignorant    of  geography,  of    Scripture   history,  or    the 
writings  of  the  Fathers— devoured  by  ennui,  and  sighing 
for  a  return  to  Europe,  with,  however,  the  honoiu-able 
exception  of  a  few  who  troubled  themselves  with  learn- 
ing Arabic  and  serving  as  parish    curates.      A  vessel 
arrived  every  two  or  three  years  for  effecting  removals  or 
changes  among  them.     '  Their  bams  and  cellars  are  well 
stocked,  their  edifices  are  well  kept  up,  and  they  lead  a 
lifeof  comparative  wealth.'  .  .  .*  I  heard  of  no  scandals  of 
life  ....  they  are  simply  and  sincerely  credulous  (in 
the   matters  of  their  silly  traditions).'     'At  Nazareth,' 
this  author  found  *  not  one  able  to  maintain  a  rational 
conversation   even  on   subjects  peculiarly  their  own ; ' 
but  some  in  that  convent  were  leading  'a  holy  life  of 
ardent  faith  and  active  charity,  humble,  mild,  patient, 
and  willing  servants  to  the  brethren  and  to  strangers.' 
Such  were  the  impressions  recorded  by  Lamartine. 

The  alms  supplied  from  Europe  for  the  general  sup- 
port of  Terra-Santa  institutions  then  amounted  to  be- 


40  CASA  NUOVA.      CONVENT  AUTHORITIES. 

tween  three  and  four  hundred  thousand  francs  (12,000Z. 
to  15,000/.)  annually,  which  were  employed  according 
to  circumstances  by  the  Father  Superior. 

In  still  later  times,  it  is  to  be  hoped  that  the  character 
of  that  fraternity  in  Palestine  is  somewhat  improved.  In 
my  time  I  never  heard  of  disorderly  life  among  them  ; 
only  the  Consuls  and  others  used  to  complain  of  their 
stupidity  of  ideas  and  obstinacy.  In  Jerusalem  they 
conducted  day-schools  for  children,  and  a  printing-press ; 
they  also  kept  up,  for  form's  sake,  that  rule  of  their 
Order  which  enjoins  a  subsistence  on  mendicancy,  one 
of  their  number  going  round  occasionally  to  a  few 
houses  with  a  bag,  asking  for  contributions  of  food, 
of  which,  as  may  be  believed,  they  are  far  from  being 
themselves  in  need,  thanks  to  the  funds  supplied  from 
Europe ;  but  the  rule  of  St.  Francis  does  not  preclude 
them  from  distributing  to  the  poor  at  their  gates  what 
they  have  collected  in  the  bags. 

The  authorities  always  aim  at  maintaining  one 
English  subject  among  their  number  in  Jerusalem,  and 
this  is  useftil  for  intercourse  with  our  travellers  arriving 
at  their  hospice  called  the  Casa  Nuova:  the  one  left 
there  in  1863  was  an  Irishman,  who  by  no  means  con- 
fined himself  to  that  simple  office :  he  was  always  ready 
as  a  guide  to  the  Sanctuaries,  and  inveighing  with 
characteristic  fervour  in  the  cause  to  which  he  was 
attached. 

The  government  of  Terra  Santa  lies  in— 

1 .  The  Vicar-father^  who  in  former  times  was  always  a 
Frenchman,  when  French  monks  existed  there. 


SPANISH  CONVENTS.      CARMELITES  ON  MT.  CARMEL.     41 

2.  The  Fiscal-procurator^  who  is  always  a  Spaniard, 

3.  The  Gustos  or  chief,  styled  '  Keverendissiino,'  who 
in  fact  is  always  an  Italian,  although  no  others  than 
French  are  excluded  from  that  office. 

The  accounts  are  audited  every  month.  The  treasury, 
which  is  an  iron  chest,  has  three  keys,  one  kept  by  the 
Gustos,  one  by  the  Procurator,  and  the  other  by  a 
secretarv. 

The  convents  of  St.  John's  ('Ain  Carem),  a  few  miles 
distant  from  Jerusalem,  and  that  of  Cyprus,  are  exclu- 
sively Spanish,  that  of  Eamlah  mostly  so. 

The  monastery  of  the  Carmehtes,  on  Mount  Carmel, 
is  independent  of  these  Franciscans  of  Terra  Santa,  and 
has  its  own  special  history  as  well  as  affairs,  of  which 
much  might  be  said  if  necessary  here. 

In  the  course  of  a  conversation  once  held  with  the 
Latin  Patriarch,  His  Grace  lamented  the  paucity  of  sub- 
jects imder  his  jurisdiction  ;  for  he  stated  that  among  all 
classes  of  them,  and  throughout  the  Holy  Land  (a  term 
which  in  their  reckoning  includes  Northern  Syria,  Egypt, 
and  Cyprus)  he  could  scarcely  estimate  their  census  at 
half  a  million. 

In  the  general  report  of  Franciscans  in  the  Holy  Land, 
delivered  in  1856  by  the  ex-Custos,  Bernardo  di  Monte- 
franco,  to  the  chapter-general  in  Kome,  the  details  are  as 
follows  among  other  items,  and  omitting  those  of  Egypt 
and  Northern  Syria. 

The  parishes  constituted  in  Palestine  are  seven-^ 


Jerusalem        I        Jaffa 
Kamlah  |    .    Acre 


Bethelehem 
Nazareth. 


St.  John's 


42 


STATISTICS.      CONVENT  HOSPITALITIES. 


Classification  and  Number  of  the  Fraternity. 


Ex-provincials  . 

.      2 

Disengaged 

.      3 

Apostolical  missionaries    . 

.    45 

Cleric 

.       1 

Penitentiaries    .        .        .        , 

10 

Professed  laymen 

.    92 

Preachers,  not  missionaries 

6 

Clerical  novice 

.       1 

Teachers  of  boys'  schools  , 

16 

Tertiary    .         ,        *        . 

.       1 

Visiting  priests .        .        .        . 

40 

(But  it  is  to  be  noted  that  in  this  table  some  individuals 
are  probably  included  in  more  than  one  of  the  classes. 
The  lay-friars  are  still  in  the  majority.) 

At  each  convent  alms  are  distributed  to  poor  natives, 
of  food,  clothing,  and,  in  some  instances,  of  medicine. 
The  hospices  entertain  pilgrims  or  travellers  gratuitously. 

(Thus  far  the  Franciscan  Eeport.) 

At  these  last-named  establishments,  by  order  of  the 
College  of  the  Propaganda  in  Eome,  with  consent  of  the 
Venerable  Council  (Discretorium)  of  Terra  Santa  in 
Jerusalem,  pilgrims  are  lodged  and  fed  in  Jerusalem  for 
a  whole  month  gratuitously,  and  in  all  others  about  the 
country,  for  three  days.  European  travellers,  however, 
usually  bestow  donations  on  their  departure,  equal  to  the 
amount  of  a  good  hotel-bill,  and  some  very  much  more. 

As  for  medicines,  the  friars  who  attend  to  that 
department  are  for  the  most  part  extremely  ignorant  of 
their  science,  but  from  practice  it  cannot  be  but  that 
they  acquire  some  knowledge  of  the  simple  diseases  of 
the  country,  and  of  remedies  to  be  applied.  In  Jerusalem 
there  is  a  regular  hospital  and  dispensary,  independent  of 
the  convent,  to  which  the  French  Government  largely 
contributes.^ 

^  We  are  only  speaking  of  medical  relief  with  which  the  Terra  Santa  has 
any  relation.  Several  other  communities  now  have  hospitals  of  their  own  in 
Jerusalem,  Jafia^  and  Nazareth  (1872). 


LATIN  LOCAL  FESTIVALS.      PILGRIM  CERTIFICATE.       43 

0 

Besides  the  great  festivals  of  the  Church,  there  are 
local  celebrations  in  Palestine  of  conventual  appointment, 
viz. :  at  Tiberias  for  St.  Peter's  day  (June  30).  The 
monks  leave  Nazareth  and  hold  a  convivial  feast  at  Cana ; 
also  one  on  the  traditional  Mount  of  Beatitudes,  and  at 
the  supposed  site  of  miraculously  feeding  the  five  thou- 
sand upon  the  way  to  Tiberias ;  then,  on  the  return,  upon 
the  summit  of  Tabor,  and  at  the  fabulous  Mount  of 
Precipitation.     The  excursion  lasts  four  days. 

At  Bethany,  the  raising  of  Lazarus  is  commemorated 
on  July  22,  besides  a  service  held  at  the  reputed  house, 
or  rather  some  of  the  old  foundations  believed  to  belong 
to  the  house  of  Simon  the  leper,  on  the  Friday  after  the 
first  Sunday  in  Lent. 

On  Mount  Carmel,  and  the  Mar  EHas,  which  is  half- 
way between  Jerusalem  and  Bethlehem,  the  festival  of  St. 
Elijah  (Elias)  is  held  in  July,  and  maintained  for  several 
days  with  much  animation  by  the  Christian  population 
arriving  even  from  long  distances. 

Previous  to  1848  the  '  Eeverendissimo  of  Terra  Santa ' 
was  the  highest  authority  of  Latin  interest  in  the  country. 
He  performed  not.  only  the  functions  of  a  Bishop,  but 
was  Deputy  Grand-Master  of  the  Order  of  the  Holy 
Sepulchre.  In  his  name  the  certificates  were  issued  to 
pilgrims  of  their  having  performed  their  vows.^ 

»  THE  PILGRIM  CERTIFICATE. 

[Translation.]  In  the  name  of  God.    Amen. 

To  all  and  singular  who  may  see,  read,  or  hear  thia  letter  read.     We^ 
Custos  of  the  Terra  Santa,  do  certify  and  notify,  that  ■  arrived 

safely  on  the        day  and  on  the  following  days  visited  the  principal 

Sanctuaries  in  which  the  Saviour  of  the  world  mercifully  delivered  His  chosen 
people,  together  with  the  lost  generations  of  the  human  race,  from  the  slavery 


44  REVIVAL  OF  LATIN   PATRIARCHATE. 

The  Reverendissimo  of  Terra  Santa  also  granted 
licences  to  trading  ships  in  the  Levant  for  ciirrying  the 
Jerusalem  flag  of  five  crosses  gules^  in  virtue  of  which 
they  enjoyed  certain  exemptions  on  the  part  of  local 
governors,  based  on  the  theory  that  they  were  bringing 
provisions  from  Europe  for  support  of  the  convents — ^a 
duty  in  our  days  utterly  unrequired.^ 

Revival  of  the  Latin  Patriarchate  of  Jerusalem. 

In  1848,  however,  a  novel  sense  of  elasticity  was 
imported  into  Roman  Catholic  affairs  iii  Palestine  and 
Syria  by  the  revival  of  the  office  of  Patriarch  of  Jerusa- 
salem,  which  had  lain  in  abeyance  since  the  epoch  of 
the  Crusades.  The  use  of  the  words  '  elasticity '  and 
*  novel'  impUes  the  previous  existence  of  a  contrary,  a 
proportionately  *  dead  weight,'  and  such  indeed  was  the 
case.  It  could  not  be  otherwise  in  a  time  of  non-persecu- 
tion, while  the  spiritual,  and  very  much  of  the  temporal, 
rule  over  the  natives  adhering  to  this  creed  lay  in  the 

of  Hell :  namely  Oalyary  where  being  nailed  to  the  cross,  l^y  OYeicoming 
death  He  opened  to  us  the  gates  of  Heaven — Also  the  most  holy  sepulchre 
wherein  His  most  sacred  body  reposed  for  three  days  before  His  most 
glorious  reeurrection^-Al^  all  the  holy  places  of  Palestine,  sanctified  by  the 
footsteps  of  the  Lord,  and  of  most  Blessed  Mary,  His  mother :  and  such 
others  as  are  accustomed  to  be  visited  by  our  devotees  and  pilgrims. 

In  faith  whereof,  we  h^ve  commanded  this  document,  funiis)ie4  with 
our  seal,  to  be  delivered  by  our  Secretary. 

Given  at  the  Holy  Oity  of  Jerusalem  in  the  Venerable  Convent  of  St. 
Salvatore. 

day        month,  &c. 
By  command  of  the  Very  Reverend  Father  in  Ohrist, 

(Signed) 

^  For  an  amusing  account  of  the  fate  of  such  a  cargo  when  t^vken  by 
pirates,  see  Memoirs  of  Lady  Hester  Stanhope/  vol.  i.,  pp.  32,  34,  30. 
This  occuiTed  in  1837, 


MONSIGNOPtE  JOSEPH  VALERGA.  45 

hands  of  heavy  and  ignorant  friars.  Even  their  own 
monastic  affairs  were  mismanaged  ;  they  made  no  efforts 
to  keep  up  with  the  progress  of  events,  small  as  that  was, 
around  them :  for  since  the  restoration  of  the  Ottoman 
Government  in  1840,  inteUigent  travellers  to  the  Holy 
Land  became  multiplied — the  Greek  clergy  and  laity 
were,  in  some  perceptible  degree,  awaking  from  a  long 
lethargy ;  so  were  the  Armenians,  and  Protestants  had 
already  received  their  second  bishop.  A  restoration  of 
the  Patriarchate  was  therefore  resolved  on  in  Eome,  to 
wield  authority  over  all  persons  of  its  communion  in 
Syria  and  Cyprus,  thereby  withdrawing  episcopal  func- 
tions from  the  monastic  guardian  of  the  holy  places. 

The  ecclesiastic  selected  for  the  office  was  one  of 
some  previous  note,  a  Genoese  named  Joseph  Valerga, 
who  had  in  early  life  served  as  secretary  to  a  Papal  dele- 
gate in  Syria,  then  as  missionary  in  Baghdad,  Mosul,  and 
Persia,  in  which  latter  capacity  he  had  evinced  a  fervour 
of  temperament  equalling  that  of  the  friars  in  Jerusalem 
and  Bethlehem,  for  on  one  occasion,  by  pushing  forward 
ultra  claims  in  some  professional  business,  he  got  into 
a  street  riot,  and  to  this  day  carries  a  bullet  lodged  in  his 
neck,  then  received.^ 

He  was  at  the  time  of  his  promotion  to  Jerusalem  in 
full  vigour  of  life^  about  forty  years  of  age,  and  enjoy- 
ing a  reputation  of  being  learned  in  several  Oriental  lan- 
guages. He  studied  sufficient  dignity  of  deportment,  and 
his  people  addressed  him  by  the  title  of  *  Your  Grace.' 

The  advent  had  been  prepared  among  us  by  a  mission 
from  M.  Guizot,  of  Eugene  Bor^,  formerly  the  French 

*  The  Patriarch  Valerga  is  now  dead.— Ed. 


46  STATE  ENTRY  OF  THE  PATRIARCH. 

Consul  in  Damascus,  and  sanguinary  persecutor  of  the 
Jews  upon  the  false  accusation  implied  in  the  asserted 
death  of  Father  Thomas  (a.d.  1840).  At  this  time  M. 
Bore  was  a  member  of  the  Jesuit  Society,  and  regarded 
as  one  in  the  very  odour  of  sanctity.  Within  the  Terra 
Santa  convent  he  abode  in  seclusion  for  a  time.^ 

The  actual  arrival  of  the  Patriarch  was  an  event  of 
no  common  interest  to  the  Eoman  Catholic  body — exul- 
tation to  some,  but  disappointment  and  dislike  to  the 
conventual  party. 

In  order  to  make  the  entrance  to  the  holy  city  deli- 
berate and  formal,  his  Grace  did  not  come  direct  from 
Jaffa  and  Eamlah,  but  passed  the  night  at  the  convent  of 
St.  John's,  or  'Ain  Carem,  so  as  to  have  only  two  hours 
for  the  morning  ride.  He  was  accompanied  by  a 
numerous  train  from  Jaffa,  including  several  Vice-Consuls 
from  that  place,  with  their  officials. 

In  the  morning,  besides  the  French  and  Sardinian 
Consuls  (then  the  only  Eoman  Catholic  Consuls  in  the 
country)  in  full  uniform,  with  their  appropriate  trains ;  a 
deputation  from  the  .Turkish  authority,  consisting  of  the 
Pashk's  dragoman,  the  city  treasurer,  and  the  chief  of  the 
police,  each  with  his  staff  of  subordinates ;  and  all  towns- 
men of  the  Eomish  creed,  in  gala  costume,  on  horseback  ; 
together  with  armed  peasants,  Latins  from  the  Christian 
villages,  advanced  to  'Ain  Carem  for  the  escort  of  the 
Patriarch.  The  wild  hills  and  the  quiet  valleys,  over 
which  they  passed  in  the  approach  to   Jerusalem,   re- 

*  He  was  afterwards  sent  to  Ohina,  and  on  his  way  out,  when  visiting 
the  Pope,  His  Holiness  bestowed  on  him  a  special  benediction  with  thanks 
for  his  zeal  in  defence  of  the  Faith^  as  shown  in  Damascus. 


PROCESSION  IN  THE  STREET.  47 

sounded  with  shouts  and  screams  of  joy,  and  a  running 
accompaniment  of  musket  shots  (the  pieces  on  festive 
occasions  are  usually  loaded  with  ball,  in  order  to  increase 
the  loudness  of  the  report),  which  were  all  redoubled  on 
coming  within  view  of  the  Holy  City.  It  is  superfluous  to 
mention  that  these  demonstrations  were  not  assisted  by 
the  Christians  of  any  other  communion. 

It  was  a  cold  but  bright  wintry  day  of  February,  and 
the  city  was  all  astir  at  the  novelty  of  the  proceedings. 
The  house  prepared  as  the  patriarchal  residence  was  not 
far  within  the  Jaffa  Gate,  but  the  Patriarch  did  not  go 
there  first.  Passing  on  towards  the  Latin  convent,  the 
Patriarch  was  met  opposite  the  Convent  Hospice  by  the 
monks  amid  a  clerical  procession  in  sacerdotal  vest- 
ments, bearing  a  canopy  (baldacchlno),  and  fiiars  carry- 
ing huge  hghted  tapers.  The  Patriarch  assumed  his 
robes  and  jewelled  mitre  in  the  open  air,  and  passing 
by  his  door  they  all  proceeded,  chanting  the  '  Te  Deum 
laudamus,'  through  the  street  to  the  convent  church  of 
St.  Salvatore  (St.  Saviour's),  where  a  long  service  of  in- 
stallation was  performed. 

The  French  Consul  takes  precedence  on  all  occasions 
in  which  Latin  interests  are  concerned,  being  the  Consul 
for  the  nation  whose  title  is  *  Protector  of  Christianity  in 
the  East.'  The  Sardinian  Consul,  however  (while  yielding 
place  to  his  French  colleague),  also  appeared  in  state  on 
this  occasion — not  merely  as  the  Consul  to  whose  nation 
the  Patriarch,  Monsignore  Valerga  (a  Piedmontese), 
belonged  personally  by  birth.  He  did  not  Wear  his 
usual  consular  uniform  of  dark  blue  and  gold,  but  was 
seen  for  the  first  time  in  a  new  uniform  of  brilliant 


48      FIRST  PUBLIC  LATIN  CEREMONY  SINCE    CRUSADES. 

scarlet.     We  were  informed  that  on  this  important  occa- 
sion he  regarded  himself,  not  so  much  as  Consul,  but  as 
taking  part  in  the  ceremonies  in  tlie  capacity  of  Envoy  of 
the  King  of  Jerusalem — one  of  the  titles  claimed  by  the 
King  of  Sardinia.     How  strange  this  sounded  within  the 
walls  of  the  Holy  City,  amid  all  the  stir  and  excitement 
consequent  on  the  revival  of  the  Latin  Patriarchate  and 
the  first  public  ceremonial  of  the  great  church  of  the 
West  since  the  fall  of  the  Crusading  Kingdom !     On  this 
day  the  streets  had  once  more  re-echoed  the  chant  of 
white-robed  choristers  with  priests  and  friars,   bearing 
aloft  the  sacred  emblems  in .  public  procession,  amid  long 
disused  pomp,  with  glitter  of  gold  and   jewels,    and, 
strangest  of  all,  ushered  through  the  narrow  streets  by 
Turkish  officials  and  by  the  Moslem  KawwAses,  not  only 
those  attached  to  the  Roman  Catholic  Consulates,  but  by 
the  Kaww&ses  which  Tiu-kish   liberality  of  nde   allows 
each  head  of  a  religious  community,  in  recognition  of  his 
rank  in  the  state.     The  Oriental  Patriarchs  had  their 
Kaww&ses,  the  Chief  Rabbi  had  his,  so  had  the  English 
Bishop,  then,  of  course,  the  Latin  Patriarch  was  entitled 
to  have  his  also. 

The  English  Consulate  had,  of  course,  no  direct  official 
relations  with  this  Patriarchate  any  more  than  with  those 
of  the  Greeks  and  Armenians,  but  formal  visits  were 
annually  paid  to  such  dignitaries,  and  received  in  return 
at  the  new  year  and  Easter  periods,  also  on  our  Queen's 
birthday. 

When  the  Pope's  anniversary  festival  was  notified  by 
the  Patriarch  in  1849,  it  so  happened  that  the  Pope  was 
then  in  exile  from  his  own  dominions,  so  that  he  couH 


THE  LEARNING  AND  TALENTS  OF  THE  PATRMRCH.   49 

scarcely  be  regarded  as  a  temporal  sovereign,  and  there- 
fore no  visit  was  paid  to  the  Patriarch,  as  his  representa- 
tive, by  the  Protestant  Consuls,  and  the  future  recurrence 
of  it  was  never  announced  to  them. 

I  always  continued  on  friendly  personal  terms  with 
Monsignore  Valerga,  for  we  could  converse  on  topics  of 
European  politics  or  of  Oriental  learning.  At  one  time 
I  lent  him  the  two  great  volumes  of  the  Bible  as  recently 
translated  into  vernacular  Chaldsean  by  the  Armenian 
missionaries  of  Oroomiah,  and  at  another  opportunity 
offered  assistance  in  procuring  publication,  by  means  of 
our  learned  societies  at  home,  of  any  particular  manu- 
scripts that  he  might  desire.  This  was  after  he  had 
shown  me  several  Syriac  manuscripts  of  great  rarity  and 
beauty  collected  by  himself  in  Mesopotamia. 

The  Patriarch  possessed  considerable  talents  for 
business  and  local  diplomacy,  for  which  there  was,  or 
for  which  he  had  created,  material  within  the  range  of 
his  jurisdiction*  The  distinctive  character  of  Komanism 
as  to  ecclesiastical  aggression  and  superiority  of  tone  in 
conduct  lost  nothing  by  the  appointment  of  Monsignore 
Valerga,  notwithstanding  his  affable  demeanour  in  social 
conversation.  And  in  the  same  saloon  for  general  recep- 
tion there  stood  conspicuous  a  velvet-covered  throne, 
raised  upon  steps,  surmounted  by  the  Papal  insignia ;  this 
was  used  by  him  upon  ceremonial  occasions  of  receiving 
deputations — and  the  refreshments  tendered  were  at  all 
times,  as  a  rule,  handed  to  him  by  the  attendants  before 
being  presented  to  the  visitors,  as  would  be  done  in  Italy 
*  with  Church  dignitaries. 

VOL.  I.  E 


50         HIS  POSITION  TOWARDS  OTHER  CHURCHES. 

From  the  assumption  that  the  Eoman  is  the  only 
true  rhurch  anywhere,  it  logically  follows  that  this  was 
the  only  true  Patriarch  in  Jerusalem,  notwithstanding 
the  unbroken  succession  of  the  Patriarchal  oflBice  in  the 
Greek  Orthodox  Church  at  Jerusalem  from  ante-Nicene 
times ;  and  both  he  and  his  party  felt  entirely  free  in 
conscience  as  to  any  charge  of  schismatic  intrusion  within 
the  domain  of  the  Orientals. 

The  Greeks  and  the  Armenians  were  angered  at  this 
Latin  institution  raising  its  head  once  more  among  them, 
which  could  not  fail  to  bring  to  remembrance  the  election 
of  a  Latin  Patriarch  by  the  crusading  army  on  its  march, 
before  even  coming  in  sight  of  Jerusalem.  The  Latins 
had  now,  however,  no  military  force  for  estabUshing  their 
creation,  and  all  that  could  be  done  was  the  safe,  the 
neutral  proceeding  of  leaving  Monsignore  Valeiga  to  his 
own  devices,  while  the  others  pursued  each  his  own  line 
of  duty.  *  Que  le  Pape  cr^e  des  patriarches  de  Jerusalem 
nous  nous  en  inqui^tons  fort  pen.  Notre  gouvemement 
(le  turc)  s'est-il  jamais  alarm^  des  titres  de  "Koi  de 
Jerusalem  ?  " '  Such  was  the  language  of  a  Smyrna  pam- 
phlet on  the  Greek  side  upon  a  later  opportunity — so 
the  Eastern  churches  kept  on  their  monotonous  course, 
leaving  their  European  rival  to  confer  whatever  titles  she 
might  please  upon  her  own  agents. 

The  Anglican  Bishop  and  the  Latin  Patriarch  made 
no  advances  towards  each  other ;  but  they  met  sometimes 
at  public  celebrations  in  the  British  Consulate,  and  joined 
in  conversation  when  this  was  commenced  by  other 
persons.  " 

The  party  which  felt  most  practical  annoyance  from 


HIS  POSITION  TOWARDS  THE  TERKA  SANTA  CONVENTS.    51 

this  new  institution  was  that  of  the  Franciscan  convents  ; 
for  the  influence  of  the  great  name  of  '  Terra  Santa ' 
subsided  at  once,  and  for  many  years  afterwards  sharp 
hostilities  continued  between  the  two  Powers,  chiefly  upon 
financial  matters,  in  which  the  Patriarchate  made  huge 
demands  of  money,  and  consequently  gained  knowledge 
of  the  state  of  the  treasury.  The  supreme  government 
in  Eome  made  fruitless  eflbrts  to  end  these  conflicts  by 
sending  repeated  commissions  of  enquiry;  but  even 
when  some  amount  of  reconciliation  was  effected,  the 
smart  of  past  wounds  would  yet  remain. 

Henceforward  the  patents  and  licences  (except  those 
of  pilgrims  visiting  the  Sanctuaries)  were  issued  in  the 
name  of  the  Patriarch  instead  of  the  President  of  Terra 
Santa,^  and  episcopal  functions  were  transferred  to  the 
Patriarchate. 

But  all  this  was  about  regimen  within  limited  circles. 
The  Patriarch  was  not  the  ^Protector'  of  the  Latin 
Christians—they,  including  himself  and  his  office,  were 
under  a  far  more  powerful  Protectorate,  as  we  shall  soon 

Thus  much  concerning  the  Ecclesiastical  parties  in 
litigation  on  behalf  of  the  Sanctuaries  in  Jerusalem  and 
Bethlehem  prior  to  1858,  in  so  far  as  those  parties  were 
represented  in  the  Holy  City  itself.  But  each  of  those 
parties — ^the  Eastern  Church  and  the  Western  Church — 
was  backed  by  a  political  supporter.  The  Emperor  of 
Eussia  was  the  champion  of  the  Eastern  Church ;  the 

^  For  copy  of  the  Licence  to  a  Priest,  and  of  the  Ships'  Patent  for  Terra 
Santa,  see  at  the  end  of  this  chapter. 

£  2 


[ 


52  LICENCE  TO  A  PRIEST. 

Emperor  of  the  French  was  leader  of  the  forces  mar- 
shalled in  defence  of  the  Western  Church. 

Of  these  champions  we  will  speak  in  our  next  chapter. 

Licence  to  a  Priest  for  Abaohvtion  at  ConfeasioTie, 

(Translation.) 

Joseph  Valeroa^ 

By  Divine  compassion  and  by  Grace  of  the  Apostolical  See, 
Patriarch  of  Jerusalem,  Grand  Master  of  the  Order  of  the 
Holy  Sepulchre,  &c.,  &c. 

To  our  beloved  in  Christ 

Whereas   we  have   suflScient  testimony  to   thy   learning, 
knowledge,  prudence,  moderation,  and  probity  of  morals,  for 
receiving  sacramental  confession,  both  of  regulars  and  seculars 
of  either  sex  within  this  oiu:  patriarchal  diocese  of  Jerusalem, 
as  well  as  in  the  whole  island  of  Cyprus,  committed  to  our 
pastoral  care — By  virtue  of  these  presents  we  do  institute  and 
deliver  to  thee  the  facidty  of  absolving  from  all  and  any  sins, 
except  only  in  those  cases  which  are  reserved  out  of  Italy  to 
the  Supreme  Pontiff,  and  those  to  which  excommunciation  is 
annexed  by  the  Supreme  Pontiff :  also  those  which  by  common 
law  are  reserved  to  ourselves,  together  with  those  which  in  the 
Lord  we  have  decreed  to  be  reserved.     Moreover,  in  case  of 
urgent  necessity,  or  imminent  peril  of  deaths  it  will  be  per- 
mitted to  thee  to  receive,  by  an  interpreter,  the  confessions  of 
persons  in  any  language  whatsoever.     But  if  an  interpreter 
cannot  be  had,  or  if  the  penitents  may  not  consent  to  make  use 
of  one ;  yet  if  the  tokens  of  penitence  be  evident,  we  desire 
thee  to  impart  to   them  absolution.     Only  beware  lest   by 
absolving  the  unworthy,  thou  shouldst  suffer  to  fall  into  the 
snares  of  the  devil,  those  whom  in  this  Holy  Land  our  Divine 
Saviour  has  redeemed  with  his  precious  blood. 

To  be  valid  from  now  till 

Given  at  Jerusalem,  in  the  Patriarchal  Palace,  this day 

of  — ,  in  the  year <-. 


SHIP'S  PATENT  FOR  TERRA  SANTA.  53 

Ship^a  PaterU  for  Terra  Santa. 
(Translation.) 

Joseph  Yalerga, 

By  Divine  compassion  and  Grace  of  the  Apostolical  See, 
Patriarch  of  Jerusalem,  Grand  Master  of  the  Order  of  the 
Holy  Sepulchre,  &c.,  &c. 

To  our  beloved  in  Christ 

Master  of  the  Ship  named 

Salutation  in  the  Lord. 

So  great  has  ever  been  the  desire  of  the  Apostolical  See 
and  of  the  Catholic  Church  for  the  defence  and  preservation  of 
these  most  holy  places  of  the  redemption  of  mankind,  that  she 
has  always  deigned  to  reward  munificently  with  divers  kinds 
of  spiritual  graces,  and  also  with  manifold  favours  of  temporal 
benefit,  those  who  may  show  themselves  in  any  way  meritorious 
towards  this  Church  of  Jerusalem  and  its  venerable  monu- 
ments. 

Among  such  evidences  of  the  Apostolical  solicitude  she  has 
permitted  to  be  given  to  Masters  of  Ships  who  may  endeavour, 
whether  by  piety  chiefly,  or  by  their  largesses,  to  promote  the 
increase  of  Catholic  devotion  in  this  Holy  Land,  the  use  of 
that  illustrious  and  singular  token,  the  Jerusalem  flag,  which 
she  desires  to  have  maintained  as  a  custom  all  over  the  world, 
in  order  to  provide  for  the  necessities  of  the  Holy  places,  and 
particularly  of  the  Sepulchre  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ. 

The  exercise  of  which  faculty  was  formerly  committed  to 
the  Religious  Superiors  for  the  time  being  of  Terra  Santa,  as 
carrying  on  the  Vicariate  of  the  Church  of  Jerusalem ;  but  is 
now  by  the  Providence  of  His  Holiness,  our  lord  Pius  IX., 
Father  of  his  country,  decreed  to  be  transferred  to  this  His 
Patriarchal  diocese :  its  pastor  being  restored. 

We  therefore  whom  the  favour  of  Divine  Grace  has  raised 
to  that  Patriarchal  oflSce,  having  knowledge  from  manifold 
testimony  of  thy  Catholic  faith,  thy  probity  of  morals  and  thy 
devotion  towards  these  most  holy  monuments  of  our  salvation^ 


54  SHIPS  PATENT. 

as  well  as  of  the  bounty  of  thy  benefits  bestowed,  do  benig- 
nantly  consent  to  thy  request,  and  by  the  tenor  of  these 
presents,  and  with  sacred  authority  do  grant  that  upon  thy 

ship  named  ,  thou  mayest  raise  the  illustrious  flag  of 

Terra  Santa,  with  its  five  red  crosses  upon  a  white  field  (the 
royal  ensign  of  this  Holy  Land,  bedewed  with  the  most  pre- 
cious blond  of  Jesus  Christ),  and  under  the  same  freely  to  sail 
and  to  prosper. 

On  condition  that  so  long  as  thou  mayest  journey  under 
this  flag,  thou  shalt  convey  all  Minorite  monks  of  the  observ- 
ance of  St.  Francis,  or  others  ministering  in  the  Church .  of 
Jerusalem  who  may  be  furnished  with  our  testimonials  for 
travelling  gratis^  and  without  payment,  in  respect  of  thy  obe- 
dience and  piety  for  these  Holy  places. 

And  we  beseech  all  and  singular  persons  of  every  grade  and 
condition,  whether  endued  with  Imperial  or  Royal  Majesty,  or 
conspicuous  in  any  other  eminence  of  dignity,  in  the  name  of 
their  devotion  and  for  the  increase  of  their  power,  that  these 
letters  may  everywhere  obtain  similar  effect. 

We  do  also  exhort  earnestly  all  commanders  of  naval  fleets 
and  fortifications,  as  well  as  governors  of  ports  and  cities,  to 
sufifer  no  injury  to  befall  thee,  thy  property  or  thy  companions ; 
but  that  they  may  deign  to  respect  and  defend  thee,  adorned  as 
thou  art  with  the  life-giving  ensign. 

For  the  more  secure  obtaining  of  this,  we  have  had  delivered 
to  thee  these  letters,  signed  with  our  hand  and  guarded  by  our 
great  Seal. 

Given  in  Jerusalem,  at  the  Patriarchal  Palace,  this day 

of  — — ,  in  the  year . 


55 


CHAPTEE  III. 

SECULAR  EEPRESENTATIVES   OP  LATIN   AND   GREEK 
CHRISTL\NITY   IN  JERUSALEM. 

Thfe  French '  Protectors  of  Ohiistianity  in  the  East  '—Treaty  of  King  Francis 
I. — Roman  Catholic  Christianity  protected — Terra  Santa  Convents — ^Their 
Archives — French  Consul  in  State  at  the  Sanctuaries  of  Jerusalem  and 
Bethlehem — Invasion  of  Syria  by  Napoleon  Buonaparte — His  aaoption  of 
Moslem  formula — Sir  Sidney  Smith  in  1801  Protector  of  Christians — 
Portion  of   his  Flagstaff  on  roof  of   Latin  Convent  in  Jerusalem — 
Richard  Coeur  de  Lion  at  Acre — Prince  Edward  of  England  at  Nazareth 
— Archbishop  of  Canterbury  and  Bishop  of  Salisbury  at  the  taking  of 
Acre  in  1191 — French  tricolor  flag  over  Carmel  Convent — Turks  regard 
the  French  as  the  leading  Roman  Catholic  Power — Treaties — Guizotn- 
Latin  Patriarch — Curious  Firmins  in  the  Latin  Convent — Franks,  &c. — 
French — ^Feelings  of  the  Monks — ^French  visitors  and  pilgrims — Preparar- 
tions  for  receiving  the  Pope  —  Greek  Catholic  Patriarch  —  Sir  John 
Chardin  on  French  negotiations  in  Constantinople — French  Consul  M. 
P.  E.  Botta,  of  Nineveh  celebrity — Russian  Protectorate  of  Eastern 
(Greek  and  Armenian)  Christians — ^M.  Basili,  Russian  Consul-General — 
Russian  travellers — ^Russian  Sailors   in  English  Church — Promise  by 
Turkey  that  Russia  should  have  a  Church  and  Hospice  at  Jerusalem — 
Archimandrite  Porphyrios— Russian  contributions  to  Greek  Convent — 
Purchase  of  Lands  by  Greek  Convent. 

We  now  arrive  at  the  subject  of  French  protection  of 
Christianity  in  the  East. 

King  Francis  I.  in  the  sixteenth  century  incurred  a 
good  deal  of  temporary  odium  throughout  the  realms  of 
Christendom  for  having  made  a  treaty  with  the  infidel 
Turks ;  that,  too,  at  a  time  when  these  were  a  real  source 
of  danger  on  our  frontiers.  He  was  the  first  to  do  such 
a  thing,  and  the  fact  was  the  more  surprising  as  the 


I      ''m  *  ■ 


56         THE  FRENCH  PROTECTORS  OF  CHRISTL^NITY. 

French  had  always  given  themselves  out  as  the  peculiarly 
crusading  nation — the  first  to  begin,  and  the  last  to  leave 
off  those  enterprises.  King  Francis  might  be  the  eldest 
son  of  the  Chiu-ch  ;  but  in  the  opinion  of  his  adversaries, 
only  very  indifferent  to  religion,  either  personal  or  na- 
tional; and  his  alternate  indulgences,  few  though  they 
were,  or  persecutions  of  the  Protestants,  were  supposed 
to  be  crowned  by  this  treaty  with  Sultan  Sulim&n. 

It  was,  however,  at  first  but  a  mere  convention  of  com- 
merce that  he  entered  into ;  yet  it  was  followed  up  by 
poHtical  engagements,  and  the  fellow-kings  of  Europe 
very  soon  imitated  his  example,  acting  prudently  for 
their  own  benefit.  The  Turks,  indeed,  were  not  the 
infidel  people  against  whom  the  old  crusaders  had  been 
launched  ;  they  were  but  successors  in  holding  the  terri- 
tory, no  matter  how  acquired,  therefore  not  bearing  the 
same  animus  for  or  against  Christendom  as  the  Saracens 
before  them.  Masters,  however,  of  regions  of  unbounded 
commercial  resources,  a  trading  intercourse  with  them 
was  well  worth  having. 

But  this  treaty  laid  a  foundation  also  for  long  future 
events.  Among  the  pompous  titles  of  honour  in  which 
Orientals  are  accustomed  to  indulge,  they  designated  the 
French  monarch  as  the  '  Protector  of  Christianity,'  with 
perhaps  no  more  sincerity  of  meaning  than  when  now-a- 
days  a  Pashk  addresses  any  individual  Consul  in  the  super- 
scription of  a  letter  as  the  *  glory  of  the  sect  of  Christ, 
and  pillar  of  the  community  of  Jesus.'  This  appears  to 
be  the  case  from  the  circumstance  of  their  having  some- 
times applied  the  same  title  to  the  Austrians  in  their 
treaties.     The  French   being  the  first  Power  to  treat 


ROMAN  CATHOLIC  CHRISTIANITY  PROTECTED.        57 

with  the  Porte,  the  latter  gave  this  flattering  title  at 
random ;  besides,  it  was  a  personal  epithet,  not  a  national 
one.  The  French  poUtidans,  however,  perceived  the 
advantage  possible  to  be  worked  out  from  sustaining  such 
a  designation,  and  have  insisted  upon  its  being  inserted 
in  all  treaties  made  with  the  Porte  since  that  commence- 
ment. The  Austrians  failed  to  secure  the  same  or  similar 
advantages  ;  indeed,  it  is  likely  that  their  frequent  vicis- 
situdes of  hostility  with  France  on  the  one  hand,  or  with 
Turkey  on  the  other,  hardly  admitted  a  policy  which 
should  add  to  the  seeds  of  strife  an  uncertain  controversy 
about  religious  claims. 

The  form  of  Christianity  which  came  beneath  the 
aegis  of  France  was,  of  course,  the  Eoman  Cathohc  :  and 
the  mode  of  affording  protection  to  it  has  been  chiefly 
that  of  defending  the  persons  and  properties  of  the 
monasteries  in  the  Levant,  through  the  ministry  of  the 
Embassy  at  Constantinople ;  later  institutions  of  a  reli- 
gious character,  such  as  sisterhoods  of  charity,  hospitals 
and  schools,  enjoy  also  that  ready  protection,  and  the 
coasting  vessels  chartered  under  the  Terra  Santa  flag  are 
superintended  by  the  French  Consulates. 

The  convent  archives  throughout  Turkey  are  rich  in 
Firm&ns  and  other  documents  obtained  on  their  behalf  by 
French  intervention  at  the  Porte. 

In  modern  times  the  special  services  at  the  Sanctuaries 
of  Jenisalem  and  Bethlehem  are  attended  by  the  French 
Consul  in  full  uniform,  with  a  large  train  of  officials, 
who  has  a  gilded  chair  of  state  appropriated  to  him,  a 
precedence  to  which  no  other  Consul  is  entitled ;  and  for 
the  midnight  mnss  of  Christmas  at  Bethlehem  that  Consul 


58  FRENCH  CONSUL.      SIR  SIDNEY  S>nTH. 

is  furnished  by  the  Pashk  with  a  considerable  force  of 
regular  infantry  in  the  Church,  the  expense  for  which, 
as  well  as  for  other  demonstrations,  which  tell  so  much 
upon  Orientals,  is  liberally  afforded  by  the  central  govern- 
ment in  Paris,  regardless  of  the  jealous  heartburnings  of 
the  other  Eoman  Catholic  Consuls.  Such  was  still  the 
state  of  things  when  the  writer  left  Jerusalem  in  1863. 

Such  activity  and  display  is  the  more  remarkable  in 
contrast  to  a  different  position  of  France  in  Palestine, 
which  is  even  yet  within  the  memory  of  man,  when 
Buonaparte  was  master  of  Egypt  and  invader  of  Syria. 
At  that  time  England  was  the  true  Protectress  of  Chris- 
tianity there,  while  French  proclamations  and  official 
letters  were  headed  with  the  formula,  '  There  is  no  God 
but  Allah,  and  Mohammed  is  the  Apostle  of  God,'  and  a 
letter  to  Sultan  Selim  in  referring  to  past  periods  stated 
that  such  and  such  events  had  occurred '  while  the  French 
nation  had  been  of  the  religion  of  Christ.' 

It  was  in  1801,  after  the  French  had  been  expelled 
from  Egypt  and  Syria,  that  Commodore  Sir  Sidney  Smith 
marched  his  marines  from  the  coast  into  Jerusalem  and 
Bethlehem,  with  drums  beating  and  colours  flying,  to 
post  that  flag,  which  he  did,  over  the  Latin  convents  of 
those. towns ;  and  a  remnant  of  that  flagstaff  against  the 
wall  of  the  Terra  Santa  convent  in  Jerusalem  was  lately 
visible,  perhaps  still  is  so.  This  movement  was  a  neces- 
sary one  for  ensuring  safety  to  the  Latin  Christians,  who, 
being  before  regarded  as  French  protigis^  might  have 
fallen  victims  to  popular  resentment.  Who  was  Protector 
of  Christianity  then  at  the  Holy  Places  ? 

Moreover,  to  shift  the  scene,  the  native  Christians  in 


RICHARD   C(EUR-DE-LION.      PRINCE  EDWARD.  59 

the  north  preserve  a  tradition  of  the  low  hill,  half  a  mile 
distant  from  the  walls  of  Acre,  by  calling  it  Cceur-de- 
Lioriy  in  memory  of  him  who  performed  more  personal 
service,  and  remained  longer  as  the  paynim*s  adversary, 
than  did  the  French  King  Philip  Augustus. 

And,  again,  in  the  Latin  convent  at  Nazareth  the 
friars  profess  to  show  the  very  apartment  occupied  by 
Prince  Edward  of  England,  after  his  consort,  Eleanor  of 
Castille,  had  sucked  the  poison  from  the  wound  inflicted 
by  the  assassin,^  she  who,  on  leaving  England  for  the 
expedition,  had  publicly  said, '  There  is  as  near  a  way  to 
heaven  from  Sjria  as  from  England  or  Spain '  (Wykes, 
p.  88). 

What  says  our  Shakspeare  of  our  countrymen,  but 
that  they  were 

Renowned  for  their  deeds  as  far  from  home, 
For  Ohristiaii  service  and  true  chivalry, 
As  is  the  Sepulchre  in  stubborn  Jewry 
Of  the  world's  ransom,  blessed  Mary*s  son. 

Bichard  II,,  Act  ii.  Sc.  1. 

The  valour  and  the  sacrifices  of  England  in  the  Holy 
Land,  according  to  the  estimation  set  upon  the  crusading 
cause  at  that  era — ^not  only  as  seen  in  the  leadership  of 
our  kings  with  their  feudal  nobles,  but  the  sanction  of 

^  A.D.  1271.  ^  Onely  Prince  Edward  having  passed  that  winter  in  Sicilie 
with  the  first  part  of  the  next  Spring  set  forward  again  on  his  voyage,  and 
in  fifteene  dayes  ckfter  arrived  with  his  fleet  at  Ptolemais,  when,  after  he  had 
by  the  space  of  a  moneth  rested  himselfe  and  his  souldiers  after  their  long 
travell,  and  fully  inquired  of  the  state  of  the  country,  hee  with  six  or  seven 
thousand  souldiers  marching  from  Ptolemais,  about  twentie  miles  into  the 
lande,  took  Nazareth,  and  put  to  the  sword  all  them  he  found  therein,  and 
»o  againe  returned.  After  whome  the  enemies  following  in  hope  to  have 
taken  him  at  some  aduantage,  he  understanding  thereof  turned  back  upon 
them,  and  killing  a  greate  number  of  them,  put  the  rest  to  flight.'  *  The 
generall  Historic  of  the  Turkes/  &c.,  by  Richard  EnoUes.    London :  1608. 


60  ENGLISH  PRELATES  AT  ACRE.    TRICOLOR  AT  CARMEL. 

OUT  prelates  (for  at  the  taking  of  Acre,  in  1191,  there 
were  present  the  Archbishop  of  Canterbury  and  the 
Bishop  of  Salisbury)  ought  not  to  be  forgotten  by  either 
the  French  or  the  English  nations. 

Times  are  now  changed — the  French  tricolor  flaunts 
broadly  over  the  Carmel  Convent ;  the  Terra  Santa  flag 
has  its  licences  countersigned  and  pays  its  fees  into  the 
French  Consulates  of  Jafia,  Bayroot  and  Cyprus ;  while 
in  church  ceremonials  at  the  moe)t  holy  places,  as  before 
mentioned,  the  other  Koman  Catholic  Consuls  are  obliged 
to  endure  pubhcly  the  marks  of  inferiority,  because  their 
governments  permit  it.  Even  the  Spaniard  must  be 
silent,  though  representing  the  *  Most  CathoHc '  of  king- 
doms. Also  the  Austrian,  although  his  sovereign  claims 
by  descent,  as  fix)m  one  of  the  rival  competitors,  the 
kingship  of  Jerusalem.  And  so  long  as  the  Sardinian 
Consulate  existed  there — ^for  it  terminated  in  1849 — ^that 
Consul  urged  the  same  pretension  with  a  still  clearer 
title  of  descent  from  the  crusading  kings,  not  in  words 
only,  but  on  some  state  occasions  he  wore,  besides  his 
regular  natipnal  uniibrm,  a  separate  one  as  representa- 
tive of  the  King  of  Jerusalem. 

The  Turks  undoubtedly  recognise  the  French  as  the 
leading  Eoman  Catholic  power — at  least  they  are  not  in 
a  condition  to  deny  the  kind  of  hegemony  which  the  re- 
maining kingdoms  of  Europe  do  not  for  themselves  dispute. 

Chateaubriand  points  out  a  series  of  treaties  and  fir- 
ra&ns  upon  which  France  groimds  her  Protectorate,  and 
expresses  his  joy  on  finding  recorded  in  the  archives  of 
Terra  Santa  the  numerous  evidences  of  French  action  on 
behalf  of  convents  in  the  Holy  Land. 


TREATIES  WITH  FRANCE.      GUIZOT.      FRANKS.        61 

Guizot,  himself  a  Protestant,  while  ia  the  Foreign 
Office,  urged  the  style  and  offices  of  the  Protectorate  upon 
the  Porte  in  the  fullest  form.  And  among  minor  in- 
stances of  patriotic  sensitiveness  on  that  head,  it  may  be 
cited  that  on  the  first  erection  of  the  Anglican  bishopric 
in  Jerusalem,  the  '  Semeur,'  a  thoroughly  Protestant 
journal,  gave  vent  to  its  share  in  the  national  indignation 
by  proclaiming  the  unique  prerogative  of  Prance  to  be 
Protectress  of  Christianity  in  the  East.^ 

During  the  tedious  negotiations  intendisd  to  ward  oflF 
the  Russian  War  of  1853,  this  claim  was  never  discussed 
at  Constantinople  by  the  side  of  that  of  the  Eussians— 
the  Turks  pronounced  that  the  cases  were  not  parallel. 
The  result,  however,  of  that  war  has  produced,  in  refer- 
ence to  both  these  rivalries,  whether  alike  or  unlike,  a 
sharper  definition  than  before  of  the  inalienable  rights  of 
the  Sultan  over  his  own  subjects,  whatever  may  be  their 
religious  creed. 

In  a  conversation  in  the  year  1849  between  the  Latin 
Patriarch  of  Jerusalem  and  the  writer  of  these  observa- 
tions, the  former  was  descanting  on  the  number  and 
.variety  of  Hatti-Shereefs,  Firm&ns,  &c.,  in  curious  dialects 
and  formalities,  ranging  over  many  centuries,  which  are 
preserved  in  the  Terra  Santa  convent  (one  of  them,  he 
said,  given  by  a  Soldan  of  the  Saracens),  and  he  stated 
that  in  some  of  these,  anterior  to  the  Crusades,  the 
Europeans  generally  are  denominated  '  Franks  ' — a  fact, 
if  there  be  no  mistake  in  the  matter,  which  the  modern 
French  regard  with  excessive  satisfaction,  as  a  naming  of 

*  See  note  at  the  end  of  this  chapter. 


62        FEELINGS  OF  THE  LATIN  MONKS. 

all  Christendom  after  them,  and  thus  implying  that  the 
Christian  reUgion  is  emphatically  the  French  religion. 

In  the  course  of  this  work  we  shall  find  several 
instances  of  this  subject  rising  to  the  surface  of  current 
events,  happily  not  involving  any  anxiety  on  behalf  of 
Protestantism,  which  stands  on  its  own  ground ;  but  to 
whatever  extent  Eoman  Catholic  Christianity  in  general 
may  be  indebted  to  the  French  for  protection  in  Turkey, 
even  the  convents  feel  that  protection  to  be  an  uncomfort- 
able yoke.  I  remember  a  Franciscan  fi^ar,  an  Italian, 
expreLng  himself  indignantly  on  that  subject,  for  he 
said — *  We  were  never  dependant  upon  France  for  pro- 
tection between  our  original  settlement  here  in  1226  and 
the  French  treaty  of  Francis  L  We  never  asked  the 
French  to  protect  us.  We  had,  indeed,  a  king  for  our 
patron  in  the  fourteenth  century,  but  he  was  an  Italian, 
Kobert  of  Sicily,  who,  with  his  consort,  purchased  the 
land  for  us  on  which  we  built — ^not  to  mention  the 
previous  Latin  kings  of  Jerusalem,  and  others  of  Europe, 
who  have  been  our  friends  and  guardians.  And  as  for 
Consulates  here,  why  the  French  were  only  followers  of 
the  English  in  Jerusalem.' 

During  the  existence  of  the  Sardinian  Consulate,  the 
monks  were  naturally  to  be  found  frequenting  that  house, 

constituting,  in  fact,  the  majority  of  Signor 's  society, 

for  the  enjoyment  of  national  community  in  sentiment 
and  taste,  greatly  in  preference  to  the  French  Consulate. 
Afterwards,  on  the  establishment  of  Austrian  and  Spanish 
Consulates,  the  monks  clustered  round  these  rather  than 
the  French.  But  still  it  is  hardly  reasonable  or  grateful 
for  the  convents  to  forget   the  long-continued  favours 


FRENCH  VISITORS  AND  PILGRIMS.  63 

bestowed  on  them  by  the  French.  Throughout  all  the 
extent  that  is  designated  as  Holy  Land,  they  have  been 
under  the  greatest  obligations  to  that  power.  There  can 
be  no  doubt  that  there  would  be  more  reciprocity  of 
friendship  between  them  if  more  certain  reliance  cx)uld  be 
placed  on  the  Christian  character  of  the  French  nation. 

The  personages  of  importance  on  the  Latin  side  who 
had  visited  Jerusalem,  during  the  years  immediately  pre- 
ceding the  Crimean  War,  had  been  but  few.  Of  course, 
there  were  always  a  good  many  Latin  pilgrims  at  Easter, 
and  the  Latin  Church  was  strongly  represented  by  the 
convents,  by  the  Latin  Patriarchate,  and  by  the  Latin 
Consulates. 

•  There  had  been  one  French  expedition,  that  of  M. 
de  Saulcy  and  his  friends;  and  two  or  three  French 
ships  of  war  sent  up  their  officers,  but  not  the  crews,  to 
visit  Jerusalem.  A  few  Italians  had  visited  Jerusalem, 
and  the  Austrian  Consul  was  active  in  promoting  the 
interests  of  Austrian  Koman  Cathohcs,  which  were  not 
always  identical  with  those  of  the  French  Eoman  Catho- 
lics. He  had  for  some  time  past  been  looking  out  for  a 
house  capable  of  being  improved  for  accommodation  of 
the  Cardinal  Archbishop  of  Vienna. 

Eumours  had  been  cii*culated  of  the  possibility  of  the 
Pope  visiting  the  Holy  Sepulchre.  During  his  involuntary 
exile  from  Eome  in  1848,  the  idea  had  been  put  forth 
that  eTerusalem  might  be  desirable  as  the  seat  of  Papal 
dominion,  and  this  idea  still  seemed  present  to  the  minds 
of  some  of  those  who  desired  to  restore  the  prestige  of 
the  Western  Church. 

Whatever  might  be  the  plans  and  wishes  cherished  on 


64  REMOVAL  OF  POPEDOM  TO  JERUSALEM. 

this  subject,  no  active  steps  were  taken  for  the  transfer- 
ence of  the  Popedom,  or  for  the  immediate  revival  of  the 
Latin  kingdom. 

The  nations  were  not  at  one  among  themselves,  and 
the  defence  of  the  Sanctuaries  against  all  encroachment 
on  the  part  of  the  Eastern  Church  and  Bussia  was  the  one 
point  now  especially  watched  by  Frank  defenders  of  the 
Faith. 

The  Greek  Catholic  Patriarch  from  Damascus  had 
spent  some  time  in  Jenisalem,  where  there  is  a  settlement 
of  his  people.  These,  of  course,  sided  in  most  points 
with  the  Latin  party. 

It  may  be  interesting  to  peruse  the  following  extract 
from  Sir  John  Chardin's  Travels  *  into  Persia  and  y*  East 
Indies,  through  the  Black  Sea  and  the  country  of  Colchis.' 
Being  in  Constantinople  during  the  action  of  some  busy 
negotiations  of  the  French  there  in  1670,  he  says, — 

^The  Ambassador's  demands  were  comprehended  under 
thirty  Articles,  of  which  these  were  the  chief. 

*  First — That  the  Orand  Signior  should  not  entertain 
within  his  Dominions  any  European  Nations  except  what  were 
already  settl'd  there,  but  under  the  French  Banners :  and  that 
particularly  the  ItalianSj  except  the  Venetians  and  Oenoesesj 
that  should  come  into  Turkey^  should  be  obliged  to  put  them- 
selves imder  the  Banner  of  France  and  the  Protection  of  that 
King's  Ambassador. 

(This  Privilege  was  granted  by  the  Turks  to  the  French  in 
the  Capitulations  made  in  the  reign  of  Francis  the  First,  and 
the  French  enjoy'd  'em  till  the  Beginning  of  this  Age  :  at  what 
Time  by  reason  of  certain  Pyrates  that  cruis'd  upon  the  Coast 
of  Egypt  imder  French  Colours,  the  Port  struck  out  that  article 
in  a  new  Agreement  then  concluded. 

Afterwards  the  Article  was  restored  and  the  same  Privilege 
granted  a  second  Time  in  these  Words  : — 


SIR  JOHN  CHARDIN'S  HISTORY.  65 

^All  nations  of  Europe  that  do  not  maintain  Publick 
Agents  at  the  Port,  n^or  are  m  Alliance  and  Confederacy  with 
the  Ora/nd  Signior,  which  shall  come  into  the  Levant  under 
French  Colours,  shaU  be  there  received  and  entertained  and 
enjoy  the  same  Advantages  as  the  French  do^ 

But  the  Turks  refuse  to  acknowledge  these  latter  Capitula- 
tions, and  therefore  making  use  of  the  former  they  alledge  more- 
over that  the  Words  [shall  come]  are  not  exclusive ;  and, 
therefore,  though  the  Port  be  obliged  to  receive  all  Strangers 
that  shall  come  under  French  Colours,  yet  they  do  not  debar 
the  Grand  Signior  to  entertain  Strangers,  if  it  be  his  Pleasure, 
that  come  under  other  Colours.) 

*  Secondly — That  the  French  shall  not  pay  above  Three  in 
the  Hundred  Customs,  which  is  no  more  than  the  English, 
Hollanders,  and  Genoeses  do. 

'  Thirdly  —  That  the  Orand  Signior  shall  grant  Free  Liberty 
to  the  French  to  traffick  to  the  Indies  through  his  Dominions 
and  Territories :  more  especially  through  the  Channel  of  the  Red 
Sea,  without  paying  any  other  Duties  than  those  of  Entraye. 

'  Fourthly — That  the  Orand  Signior  shall  restore  to  the 
Religious  Orders  of  the  Roman  Catholicks  the  Holy  Land,  and 
the  Holy  Places  from  whence  they  were  expell'd  by  the  Grreeks, 
in  the  year  1638. 

*  Fifthly — That  the  King  of  France  shall  be  acknowledg'd 
at  the  Port  the  Sole  Protector  of  the  Christians. 

'  Sixthly — That  all  the  Roman  Catholic  Christians  that  live 
within  the  Dominions  of  the  Ottoman  Empire,  shall  be  look'd 
upon  and  consider'd  as  under  the  Protection  of  His  Majesty, 

*  Seventhly — That  the  French  Capuchins  that  live  at  Con* 
stantinople,  may  have  Liberty  to  rebuild  their  Church  at  Ga- 
lata  which  was  burnt  down  about  Fifteen  years  ago. 

« Eighthly — That  all  the  Churches  of  the  Roman  Christians 
within  the  Ottoman  Empire,  may  for  the  future  be  repair'd  or 
rebuilt  as  often  as  need  shall  require,  without  being  put  to  the 
trouble  of  asking  Leave. 

'Ninthly — That  all  the  French  Slaves  shall  be  set  at 
Liberty. 

VOL.  l.  P 


66        FRENCH  NEGOTIATIONS  AT  CONSTANTINOPLE. 

^  The  other  Proposals  were  of  less  Importance  in  particular, 
only  their  Number  made  them  considerable — ^but  the  Port 
look'd  upon  these  Demands  to  be  so  extravagant,  nay,  so  ridi- 
culous, that  the  Prime  Ministers  believ'd,  or  else  pretended  to 
believe,  that  the  King  sought  only  an  Occasion  to  break  with 
his  Highness.' 

Then  follows  the  history  of  negotiations  between  the 
Franciscan  monks  and  the  French  Government,  which 
led  to  the  insertion  of  the  above  Article  4 — the 
vehement  reclamations  of  the  monks — ^the  bribery  ten- 
dered— the  requests  of  Venice,  Spain,  and  Eome  that  the 
French  king  should  of  his  *  pious  zeal'  carry  out  this 
measure  ;  until  at  length  the  king  instructed  his  Ambas- 
sador at  Constantinople  to  insert  that  among  the  condi- 
tions of  the  new  treaty,  and  the  Ambassador  assured  the 
monks  that  he  had  instructions  not  to  treat  at  all  with 
the  Turks  without  that  Article  of  stipulation. 

After  long  delay,  the  Ambassador,  finding  that  the 
Grand  Signior  and  the  Vizier  were  ready  to  depart  for 
Poland,  and  no  treaty  was  concluded,  went  to  the  Eeis 
Katib  (Chancellor),  and  in  three  conferences  concocted 
the  treaty. 

Articles  2,  3,  and  7  were  agreed  to,  only  that  to  the 
latter  was  added,  '  together  with  the  Jesuits  in  the  same 
place,  and  all  other  Appurtenances  belonging  to  the 
French  within  the  Ottoman  Empire,  should  be  under  the 
Protection  of  the  King.' 

Also,  Article  9,  with  the  proviso  that  *  they  were  not 
taken  in  any  Fleets  or  Armies,  or  before  any  places  in 
Hostility  with  the  Port.' 

The  matter  of  the  French  protection  of  Christianity 


THE  DISCOMFITURE  OF  THE  FRENCH  AMBASSADOR.      67 

was  reduced  to  this, — '  That  the  Ambassador  should  be 
acknowledged  Protector  of  the  Hospital  of  the  European 
Christians  in  Galata,  and  that  they  should  have  Liberty 
to  say  Mass  in  the  said  Hospital/ 

The  important  article  concerning  foreign  nations  was 
altogether  passed  by — ^it  was  to  remain  as  before  in  the 
former  treaty. 

On  his  return  home  the  Ambassador  repented,  and 
sent  his  Dragoman  to  say  that,  unless  the  stipulation  about 
foreign  nations  was  made  as  he  had  asked,  he  would 
break  off  altogether;  after  which  he  went  himself  and 
pressed  it.  The  Eeis  Katib  referred  it  to  the  Vizier,  and 
the  latter  sent  back  an  absolute  refusal  in  these  words — 
.*  Seeing  you  have  not  kept  your  word  with  him,  he 
recalls  his  own,  and  will  grant  you  nothing  at  all/ 

*  Thi8  answer,'  continues  Sir  John,  *  was  like  a  Thunderclap. — 
M.  de  Nointel  and  those  that  were  with  him  stood  like  men  in 
a  Trance.  They  begg'd  to  resume  and  ratifie  the  Treaty :  but 
it  was  quite  impossible,  though  they  proffer'd  upon  the  Place 
to  quit  and  renounce  the  Article  contested.  To  which  the 
Chancellor  answer'd,  that  he  had  no  other  Orders  from  the 
Vizier  then  to  deliver  his  Message,  and  that  he  had  no  Power 
to  treat  any  further. 

*  The  Ambassador  reply'd,  that  he  had  a  letter  from  the 
Pri/me  Minister  of  France,  which  he  desir'd  only  to  deliver 
into  his  Hands,  and  so  to  take  his  Leave.  The  Chancellor  made 
Answer  that  for  his  Audience  it  might  be  easily  obtainM,  but 
as  for  the  Letter  from  the  Prime  Minister  of  France,  the  Orand 
Vizier  car'd  not  a  straw  to  look  upon  it. 

'  Monsieur  de  Nointel,  returning  to  his  Lodging  with  that 
Vexation  and  Perplexity  of  Mind  which  may  be  conceiv'd  with- 
out any  great  DiflSculty,  propounded  to  his  Council,  which  were 
the  Abbot  his  brother,  the  Director  of  the  Levant  Company^ 
and  his  Two  chief  Interpreters,  that  since  the  EQiglish  and 

f2 


68  THE  TURKS  REGARD  LATIN  MONKS  AS  FOREIGNERa 

Hollanders  had  lately  given  Ten  Thousand  Pounds  Sterling 
a-piece  for  renewing  their  last  Capitulations,  it  would  be  con- 
venient for  the  French  to  give  the  same  money  for  the  renewing 
of  Theirs.  Upon  which  the  two  Interpreters  had  Orders  to 
propose  the  Sum  to  the  Chief  Ministers :  but  it  nothing  avaiUd, 
for  there  are  some  Favours  obtain'd  at  the  Port  by  the  Force 
of  Money  ;  others  which  no  Money  will  procure.  And  such  for 
Example  was  the  Business  soUicited  by  the  Two  Commissaries 
of  the  Holy  Land,  who  offer'd  a  Hundred  Thousand  Crowns  to 
the  Grrand  Vizier  to  put  'em  in  Possession  of  the  Sacred  Places, 
and  to  expend  as  much  in  Presents  to  the  Orand  Signior  and 
Ministers  of  the  Port.  But  their  Money  was  Dross,  the  Divan 
not  being  to  be  bribed  in  that  Case. 

*  In  a  few  days  more  the  Vizier  was  leaving  for  Poland.  M. 
de  Nointel  went  early  in  the  morning  to  the  Camp,  but  the 
Vizier  was  gone  to  convey  the  Sultan's  Mother  to  her  first  lodg- 
ing. The  Ambassador  waited  seven  hours  with  the  Chancellor. 
The  Vizier  came,  but  would  not  see  him ;  he  only  promised  to 
talk  with  the  Interpreter. 

'  And  this  was  the  success  of  M.  de  Nointel's  second  Jour- 
ney to  the  Port,  upon  which  both  Parties  made  different  Re- 
flexions. For  the  Turks  with  great  As»iir(jmce  lay  the  Blame 
of  this  Rupture  upon  the  French.''  ' 

In  the  above  narrative  it  is  not  possible  to  separate 
the  matter  of  French  protection  in  Turkey  fix)m  that  of 
the  monks  at  the  Holy  places  in  Jerusalem  and  Bethle- 
hem ;  neither  is  it  possible  to  do  so  at  the  present  period, 
seeing  that  without  the  convents  and  the  meagre  number 
of  native  Eoman  Catholics,  kept  together  by  means  of 
their  propagandism,  the  French  would  have  but  few  or 
no  Christians  to  protect.  But  it  is  noteworthy  how  high 
a  tone  the  Turks  at  that  time  were  able  to  maintain  on 
that  subject.  According  to  this  writer,  they  looked  upon 
all  the  Latin  monks  as  mere  foreigners,  while  the  Oriental 


FRANCIS  L  THE  PROTECTOR  OF  CHRISTIANS.        69 

Christians  {i.e.  Greeks,  Armenians,  &c.)  were  properly 
regarded  as  the  Grand  Signior's  subjects,  who  were 
paying  him  *  a  yearly  tribute  of  800,000  crowns,'  and 
therefore  had  the  first  claim  upon  his  concessions. 

The  Eussians  were  out  of  consideration  at  that  era. 

It  is  not  necessary  to  trace  down  the  stream  of  history 
through  all  the  stages  which  French  protection  has 
passed  since  the  reign  of  Louis  XTV". — it  must  have  been 
very  monotonous — but  it  does  seem  amusing  to  catch  a 
glimpse  of  the  method  and  aims  of  French  diplomacy 
at  Constantinople  nearly  two  hundred  years  ago,  as 
showing  how,  imder  much  disadvantage,  they  were  vigi- 
lant, as,  indeed,  they  still  are,  to  uphold  the  ascendancy 
accorded  to  them  under  Francis  I.,  merely  because 
that  king  was  the  only  one  making  a  Commercial  Treaty 
with  the  Ottomans  at  a  certain  moment  of  time.  It  is  a 
fact  that  at  that  date  the  French  king  stepped  forward  as 
the  Primus  of  the  Christian  name  in  Europe  for  taking 
notice  of  Latin  Christianity  in  the  Ottoman  dominions. 
We  may,  therefore,  regard  him  as  something  more  than  a 
protector.  He  was  the  protector  among  the  Turks  for 
the  time. 

For  the  extravagant  claims  of  French  protection  over 
the  Maronites,  see  Documents  of  Louis  XIV.  and  XV. 
quoted  in  '  Churchill's  Lebanon,'  vol.  iii.,  p.  94,  under 
dates  of  1649  and  1737. 

NOTE. 

Chronological  Summary  of  the  various  Hatti  Shereefs  (Im- 
perial Decrees)  granted  by  the  Sultan  in  favour  of  the  Greeks, 
from  the  year  15  of  the  Hegira  (636  of  the  Christian  era)  up 
to  the  present  time,  concerning  the  right  of  possession  and 


70  SUMMARY  OF  HATTI  SHEREEFS, 

other  privileges  granted  to  the  Greeks  regarding  the  Holy  Places 
at  Jerusalem. 

1.  Heoiba  16.  A.D.  636* — Hazret  Omar  Hatap  ('  Omar  el 
Khattab),  the  conqueror  of  Jerusalem  under  the  Patriarchate  of 
Sophronius,  issued  an  Artnam^,  by  virtue  of  which  the  Holy 
Sepulchre  and  its  dependencies  were  placed  under  the  control 
of  the  Greek  Patriarch,  and  the  other  rit^s  and  religions  made 
subject  to  him  in  this  respeet,  so  that  complete  immunity  was 
accorded  to  the  Convent  of  the  Holy  Sepulchre. 

2.  Hegira  862.  a.d.  1458. — The  Sultan  Mehemet,  after  the 
conquest  of  Constantinople,  under  the  Patriarchate  of  Athana- 
sius,  when  that  Patriarch  came  to  do  homage  to  the  Sultan, 
issued  a  Hatti  Shereef  which  confirmed  the  Greeks  in  all  their 
rights  of  possession  and  immunities  in  regard  to  the  Holy 
Places  previously  granted. 

3.  Hegira  933.  a.d.  1527. — The  Sultan  Suleiman,  the  Ca- 
nimi,  under  the  Patriarchate  of  Germain,  also  issued  a  con- 
firmatory Hatti  Shereef. 

4.  Sefer  1044.  A.D.  1634.  Djem-Evel  1047.  a.d.  1637. — 
The  Sultan  Murat  IV.,  under  the  Patriarchate  of  Theophane^ 
issued  two  Hatti  Shereefs,  one  against  the  Armenians,  and  the 
other  against  the  Papists,  when  the  latter  endeavoured  to  expel 
the  Greeks  from  certain  holy  places  of  which  they  formerly  had 
possession,  and  after  this  act  of  aggression  had  been  adjudicated 
on  at  Constantinople. 

5.  Sefer  1054.  a.d.  1644. — ^The  Sultan  Ibrahim  renewed 
the  Hatti  Shereef  of  his  predecessor  against  the  Papists,  and 
annulled  all  the  reformatory  acts  previously  issued  in  their 
favour. 

6.  Ebbia  m  EvEL  1067.  a.d.  1658.  Muharrum  1068.  a.d. 
1659. — The  Sultan  Mehemet  IV.,  in  consequence  of  a  formal 
judgment  which  took  place  at  Constantinople,  issued  two  Hatti 
Shereefs,  by  which  all  the  absurd  pretensions  of  the  Armenians 
were  put  aside,  and  their  encroachments  strictly  prohibited. 

7.  Rbjib  1086.  A.D.  1677.  Zil  Hadji  1088.  a.d.  1679. — 
This  same  Sultan,  under  the  Patriarch  Dossith^e,  in  consequence 
of  anew  judgment  which  was  given  between  the  Greeks  and 


SUMMARY  OF  HATTI  SHEREEFS.  «    71 

the  Papists,  issued  two  other  Hatti  Shereefs,  by  which  the 
rights  of  the  former  having  been  fully  recognised,  all  the  pre- 
ceding ordinances  issued  against  the  papists  were  confirmed 
anew. 

8.  DjEMiw  UL  Akhir  1099.  a.d.  1687. — The  Sultan  Su- 
leiman II.,  in  consequence  of  a  fresh  dispute  which  had  arisen 
and  had  been  decided  under  the  Patriarchate  of  Meletus,  re- 
newed the  same  Hatti  Shereefs  above  mentioned. 

9.  ZiLclny  1171.  (?)— The  Sultan  Mustafe  renewed  the 
Hatti  Shereefs  of  his  predecessor, 

10.  The  Sultan  Selim,  under  the  Patriarchate  of  Anthimos, 
issued  two  Hatti  Shereefs  against  the  pretensions  of  the  Ar- 
menians. 

11.  The  Sultan  Mahhmood  on  his  accession  issued  two 
Hatti  Shereefs,  one  concerning  the  Papists,  and  the  other  the 
Armenians,  by  which  he  confirmed  all  the  Hatti  Shereefs  pre- 
viously granted  by  his  predecessors  in  favour  of  the  Greeks. 

12.  When  the  Holy  Sepulchre  was  burnt  down,  in  1808,  by 
a  special  Hatti  Shereef  the  rebuilding  of  the  edifice  was  by 
right  (as  of  right)  accorded  to  the  Greeks. 

13.  Still  later  the  Armenians  having  advanced  pretensions, 
a  Hatti  Shereef  ordered  an  inquiry  to  be  made  into  them. 

14.  Under  the  Patriarchate  of  Polycarpe,  when  the  Papists 
expelled  the  Greeks  by  force  from  the  Holy  Sepulchre,  in  order 
to  prevent  their  celebrating  divine  service  there,  and  were 
guilty  of  more  than  one  aggression  against  them— the  Sultan 
Mahhmood  granted  three  Hatti  Shereefs  one  after  the  other  in 
favour  of  the  Greeks,  concerning  the  free  exercise  of  their 
Liturgy  under  the  dome  itself  of  the  Holy  Sepulchre. 

15.  Lastly,  when  the  Armenians,  by  means  of  wiles  and  in- 
trigues, succeeded  in  obtaining  authority  to  proceed  to  repair  the 
Church  of  the  Resurrection  (Holy  Sepulchre),  of  the  Holy  Beth- 
lehem and  of  the  Mount  of  Olives,  a  Hatti  Shereef  annulled 
the  authorisation  above  mentioned,  and  accorded  to  the  Greeks 
exclusively  the  right  of  making  general  repairs. 

16.  His  Imperial  Majesty,  Abdul  Majeed,  issued  four  Hatti 
Shereefs  to  renew  the  four  Hatti  Shereefs  undermentioned ;  viz., 


?2  SANCTUARIES  POSSESSED  BY  THE  LATINS. 

1.  The  Hatti  Shereef  (No.  11)  concerning  the  Papists. 

2.  (No.  13)  concerning  the  Armenians. 

3.  (No.  14)  concerning  the  Liturgy  of  the  Greeks. 

4.  (No.  15)  concerning  the  repairs. 

Condition  of  the  Sanctuaries  poaaessed  exclusively 

by  the  Latins  vn  1740. 

At  Jerusalem. 

1.  The  Holy  Sepulchre,  that  is  to  say  the  grand  cupola, 
called  the  leaden  cupola,  and  the  small  cupola  situated  under 
the  larger  one,  and  covering  the  tomb  itself.  The  entire  court 
which  surrounds  the  tomb  and  the  circular  space  between  the 
pillars  of  the  dome  and  the  wall,  now  occupied  by  the  Greeks 
after  the  fire  (of  1808). 

2.  The  grand  arch  which  separates  the  Greek  Church  from 
the  dome,  and  which  serves  for  the  choir  for  the  Latins  when 
they  perform  their  ceremonies  before  the  tomb. 

3.  The  stone  of  imction  and  the  court  which  surrounds  it, 
as  far  as  the  door  of  the  church  and  the  chamber  now  occupied 
by  the  Greeks. 

4.  The  southern  half  of  Calvary,  that  on  which  our  Saviour 
was  crucified ;  the  four  interior  arches  which  compose  Adam's 
chapel,  in  front  of  which  are  the  tombs  of  Godfrey  of  Bouillon 
and  of  Baudouin,  destroyed  in  1811 ;  as  well  as  five  other  royal 
tombs  situated  at  the  foot  of  the  wall  of  the  Greek  choir ;  the 
chamber  at  the  side  of  Adam's  chapel. 

5.  The  grotto  of  the  invention  of  the  Holy  Cross  and  of  the 
staircase  leading  to  it. 

6.  The  entire  court  and  the  altar  of  the  Church  of  the 
Magdalene,  the  seven  contiguous  arches  called  the  arches  of 
the  Virgin — below  as  well  as  above — ^and  the  chapel  called  the 
prison  chapel. 

7.  The  small  church  situated  at  the  side  of  that  of  the 
Magdalene ;  the  convent  of  the  Latin  monks,  with  half  of  the 
gallery  of  the  great  cupola;  the  adjoining  chambers,  the 
cistern,  the  gallery  above  the  seven  arches  of  the  Virgin  and  a 
covered  passage  leading  to  the  cupola. 


LATIN  SANCTUARIES  OUTSIDE  JERUSALEM.  73 

S.  The  Chapel  called  the  Holy  Virgin's,  outside  the  Church 
of  the  Holy  Sepulchre,  to  the  south  of  Calvary,  and  the  entire 
space  before  the  door  of  the  Church, 

9.  The  convent  of  the  Holy  Saviour  (San  Salvadore)  with 
the  places  appertaining  to  it — ^the  church,  gardens,  &c. 

Outside  Jerusalem. 

10.  The  cemetery  of  Mount  Sion. 

11.  The  tomb  of  the  Holy  Virgin  with  the  altars  of  St. 
Joseph,  St.  Joachim,  St.  Anne.  The  keys  of  the  church  were 
in  the  hands  of  the  Latins,  who  had  the  exclusive  custody  of 
them.  Other  nations  (sects  or  churches),  nevertheless,  had  each 
an  altar  in  the  church,  but  they  could  not  perform  service  at 
them  without  the  permission  of  the  Latins,  and  the  tomb  of 
the  Holy  Virgin  itself  was  exclusively  reserved  for  the  latter. 

12.  The  grotto  of  Crethsemane  with  the  olive  trees  and  the 
adjoining  grounds. 

13.  The  grand  church  of  Bethlehem  altogether,  excepting 
the  Baptistery ;  the  grotto  of  the  Manger  and  the  two  stair- 
cases which  lead  to  it.  The  Latin  monks  alone  possessed  the 
three  keys,  one  of  the  door  of  the  church,  and  the  other  two 
for  each  of  the  side  doors  of  the  grotto.  Masters  of  the  church, 
they  could  freely  enter  and  there  perform  all  the  ceremonies  of 
their  religion  at  the  high  altar  of  the  church,  as  well  as  at  the 
two  altars  situated  in  the  grotto — that  of  the  Nativity,  and 
that  of  the  manger.  A  silver  star  bearing  a  Latin  inscription 
was  fastened  on  the  Marble,  on  the  spot  where  our  Saviour 
was  bom.  A  piece  of  tapestry  bearing  the  arms  of  the  Holy 
Land,  and  belonging  to  the  Latins,  covered  the  walls  of  the 
grotto.  The  Latin  monks  possessed  besides  at  Bethlehem  the 
square  before  the  church,  the  entire  cemetery  and  the  buildings 
known  as  those  of  the  old  mill. 

14.  The  convent  situated  by  the  side  of  the  grand  church 
of  Bethlehem,  with  the  small  church  of  St.  Catherine,  and  all 
the  grounds  which  extend  as  far  as  the  Grotto  of  the  Nativity, 
and  in  which  are  the  Sanctuaries  of  St.  Joseph,  the  Holy 
Lmocents,  of  St.  Eusebius,  of  Saints  Paula  and  Eustachia,  of 


74  SANCTUARIES  IN  COMMON. 

St.  Jerome,  of  the  adjoining  garden,  and  of  another  garden  situ- 
ated near  the  grotto,  called  the  Grotto  of  Milk. 

15.  The  Grrotto  of  the  Shepherds,  and  the  grounds  which 
surround  it. 

16.  .The  Church  of  St.  John  the  Baptist  in  the  village  of 
Ainkarem,  with  the  convent  and  the  garden. 

17.  The  spot  where  the  Holy  Virgin  visited  St.  Elizabeth, 
near  the  village  of  St.  John  (Ainkarem),  and  the  Grotto  of  St. 
John  in  the  desert. 

8anctuaris8  possessed  by  ihe  Latins  in  corn/rrum 
with  other  nations  in  1740. 

1.  The  half  of  Calvary  which  properly  belongs  to  the  Greeks, 
that  on  which  the  cross  was  placed.  The  Latins  possessed,  and 
still  possess,  the  right  of  having  a  ceremony  there  on  Holy 
Thursday. 

2.  The  Church  of  the  Tomb  of  the  Virgin,  on  this  under- 
standing that  the  other  nations  (Churches)  should  each  have 
an  altar  there,  and  perform  their  ceremonies  there  with  the 
permission  and  xmder  the  surveillance  of  the  Latin  monks. 

8a/nctuaries  and  Possessions  from  which  the  Lati/ns  are 

now  altogether  excluded. 

At  Jerusalem. 

1.  The  seven  arches  of  the  Virgin  and  the  chapel  of  the 
prison. 

2.  The  two  interior  arches  of  Calvary,  the  chapel  in  front 
and  the  chamber  which  is  by  the  side.  The  tombs  of  Godfrey 
of  Bouillon  and  of  Baudouin  have  been  destroyed. 

3.  A  portion  of  the  court  surrounding  the  stone  of  unction, 
that  part  where  the  other  tombs  were  which '  have  been  de- 
stroyed, the  Greeks  having  pushed  forward  the  wall  in  order 
to  enlarge  their  church.  The  chamber  on  the  right  has  like- 
wise been  taken  possession  of  by  the  Greeks. 

4.  The  space  situated   between  the  pillars  of  the  cupola 


SANCTUARIES  NO  LONGER  EXCLUSIVELY  LATIN.      75 

and  between  the  pillars  of  the  waU  which  the  Greeks  have 
filled  up  by  building  chambers  there.  They  have  likewise 
usurped  about  four  '  pics '  (ells)  of  space  under  the  great  arch 
by  pushing  forward,  in  order  to  enlarge  their  church,  the  wall 
which  separated  it  from  the  cupola  {^Rotuvda). 

Outside  Jervsaiem. 

5.  The  entire  church  which  encloses  the  tomb  of  the  Holy 
Virgin  and  the  garden  by  the  side  of  it.  The  Latins  can  no 
longer  perform  their  ceremonies  there — ^nor  even  enter  without 
permission  of  the  Greeks,  who  have  the  keys. 

6.  The  grand  Church  of  Bethlehem  altogether — the  two 
staircases  which  lead  to  the  grotto — the  altar  of  the  Nativity  in 
that  grotto.  The  silver  star  has  been  carried  off.  There  no 
longer  remains  anything  but  a  few  tatters  of  the  tapestry 
belonging  to  the  Latin  monks.  The  three  keys  are  at  the 
present  time  in  the  hands  of  the  Greeks. 

7.  The  half  of  the  two  gardens  of  the  convent  at  Bethle- 
hem. 

8.  The  place  and  the  stone  known  as  that  of  the  Old  Mill. 

9.  The  Grotto  of  the  Shepherds  and  the  surrounding 
groimds. 

Sanctuaries  heUyagvag^  in  1740,  eocclusively  to  the  Laivns 
in  the  enjoyment  of  which  other  nations  (Churches)  n,ow 
participate. 

1.  The  Holy  Sepulchre  and  the  court  which  surrounds  it 
under  the  grand  cupola. 

2.  The  stone  of  Unction.  V 

3.  The  Grotto  of  the  Manger  at  Bethlehem.  The  Greeks 
and  the  Armenians  perform  their  ceremonies  there  at  the 
altar  of  the  Nativity,  and  the  Latins  at  the  altar  of  the  Manger.* 

'  The  ahove  statement  was  evidently  drawn  up  on  the  Latin  side^  before 
the  restoration  of  the  silver  star^  and  before  the  settlement  of  the  question 
of  the  Holy  Places.— Ed. 


76      FRENCH  CONSUL.  MONS.  P.  E.  BOTTA. 

Secular  Representatives  of  the  Latin  and  Greek  interests 

in  Jerusalem. 

Ten  years  before  the  Crimean  War  broke  out — in  1843 
— ^the  French  had  established  a  consulate  in  Jerusalem,  and 
their  Consul  became  the  visible  representative  and  em- 
bodiment of  the  French  Protectorate  of  Christianity. 

An  attempt  was  made  to  hoist  the  French  flag  over 
the  consulate  ;  but  this  aroused  the  jealousy  and  fanaticism 
of  the  Moslem  inhabitants,  who  rose  and  tore  down  the 
flag,  trailing  it  m  the  streets. 

This  affair  led  to  the  removal  of  the  Consul  then  in 
office  (the  first  of  his  nation  appointed  to  Jerusalem), 
who  was  succeeded  by  M.  Helouis-Jorelle.  The  affair 
of  the  silver  star  had  shown  the  French  Government  the 
necessity  for  having  an  active  man,  thoroughly  able  to 
carry  out  their  policy  in  so  important  a  post. 

The  third  French  Consul  was  M.  Botta. 

Paul  Emile  Botta,  an  old  friend  of  the  Patriarch, 
arrived  in  Jerusalem  soon  after  him,  as  Consul  of  France. 
He  was  the  son  of  Carlo  Botta,  the  Italian  historian,  who 
had  been  considered  a  personal  friend  of  Napoleon  I. 
The  Consul  had  been  in  early  life  employed  by  the 
French  Government  in  botanical  researches  in  both  the 
Americas,  in  Arabia,  and  other  countries ;  he  had  also 
served  as  surgeon  in  an  English  merchant-ship  on  a  voy- 
age to  India ;  he  then  became  Vice-consul  at  Mosul,  at  the 
same  time  with  the  residence  there  of  the  missionary, 
now  Patriarch,  Valerga  ;  and  there  he  acquired  just  cele- 
brity by  his  Nineveh  explorations  at  Khorsabad,  shortly 
before  the  excavations  of  Layard  were  commenced  at 


RUSSIAN  CONSUL-GENERAL  MONS.  BASILI.  77 

Kuynujik.  He  was  a  man  of  literary  tastes  and  amiable 
disposition,  having  a  good  acquaintance  with  the  Eng- 
lish language  and  literature ;  and  most  pleasant  reminis- 
cences still  remain  to  me  of  seeing  him  busy  over  his  proof 
sheets  of  the  great  work  on  his  Assyrian  discoveries  ;  or 
of  walking  with  him  in  his  garden  among  the  choice 
flowers  obtained  from  Europe  and  elsewhere. 

In  religious  concerns  he  advocated  the  Ultramontane 
principles  and  a  strenuous  defence  of  the  Jesuit  Society — 
in  direct  antithesis,  therefore,  to  the  habits  of  his  father. 

With  this  earnest  temperament,  Botta  appeared  sud- 
denly on  the  scene  of  the  Convent  disputes  about  the 
Sanctuaries,  and  into  those  heats  he  threw  himself  with  a 
glow  of  his  own,  acting,  no  doubt,  in  accordance  with  the 
desire  of  the  new  Government  in  Paris,  for  in  the  ques- 
tion of  the  Holy  Places,  the  Patriarch,  Botta  and  his 
Foreign  Office  were  all  of  one  mind,  and  maintained 
constant  communication  beyond  the  range  of  common 
consular  topics. 

M.  Botta's  rival  in  courage  and  political  talent  upon 
the  orthodox  side,  and  a  proficient  in  all  the  qualities 
which  Western  nations  are  accustomed  to  attribute  to  the 
Czar's  official  agents,  was  M.  Basili,  the  Eussian  Consul- 
General,  stationed  at  Beyroot  (who  has  since  been  Eus- 
sian Minister  in  Greece),  who  only  occasionally  visited 
Jerusalem,  but  by  means  of  his  correspondents  within  the 
Greek  convent  there,  was  able  to  work  efiectively  at  a 
distance. 

These  two  were  equally  pitted  against  each  other  for 
the  antagonism  peculiar  to  Palestine.  The  Eussians  also 
laid  claim  to  a  Protectorate  over  the  Eastern  Christians 


78     RUSSIAN  TRAVELLERS.     CHANCELLOR  MOURAVTEFF, 

which,  they  maintained,  had  been  in  some  sort  recognised 
and  admitted  by  the  Ottoman  Government. 

The  Eussian  Minister  at  the  Porte  mentioned  to  Sir 
Stratford  Canning  that  they  intended  to  appeal  to  the 
Treaty  of  Kainardji  in  1774,  for  authorisation  of  the 
Eussian  Protection  over  the  Orthodox  Christians  in  the 
Turkish  Empire. 

I  am  not  aware  that  he  demanded  the  same  on  be- 
half of  the  Armenians,  who  are  numerous  in  the  eastern 
provinces — but,  in  fact,  in  deahng  with  Pashks  far 
remote,  Eussia  does  exercise  a  sort  of  Protectorate  over 
the  Armenians,  in  virtue  of  the  head  of  their  Church 
being  now  a  Eussian  subject  at  TJtchmiazin. 

If  the  French  had  their  pohtical  representative  in  the 
Consul  of  France,  M.  Botta ;  the  Eussians  had  theirs  in  M. 
Basili. 

It  was  remarked  that  from  the  period  of  the  Silver- 
star  agitation  in  1847,  and  forward,  the  number  of  Eus- 
sian visitors  to  Jerusalem  had  increased.  This  was  only 
natiu'al,  and  their  influx  was  not  checked  by  an  unfounded 
rumour,  in  1849,  that  Eussia  had  declared  war  against 
Turkey,  and  that  a  combined  French  and  English  fleet 
was  on  its  way  to  Constantinople. 

Several  of  these  Eussian  visitors  were  interesting  men, 
well  known  out  of  their  own  country.  Among  these  was 
the  Chancellor  Mouraviefi*,  a  man  of  studious  and  devout 
tiu'n  of  mind,  well  versed  in  hterature  and  ecclesiastical 
history,  including  that  of  our  own  Church  of  England. 
He  was  personally  acquainted  with  several  of  the  English 
clergy,  one  of  whom,  the  chaplain  at  Cronstadt,  had  made 
a  translation  of  his  History  of  the  Eussian  Church.     He 


RUSSIAN  SAlLOfiS  IN  JERUSALEM.  70 

stayed  some  months  at  Jerusalem  making  researches  into 
ecclesiastical  antiquities  in  the  vicinity.  The  name  of 
Mouravieff  had  not  at  that  time  acquired  the  notoriety 
which  afterwards  became  associated  with  it  elsewhere,  in 
connection  with  another  member  of  the  family.  No  re- 
miniscences could  be  more  agreeable  than  those  which 
this  gentleman  left  after  him.  The  Prince  A.  de  Ineven 
was  also  with  us  at  the  same  time.  He  showed  me  in  a 
Greek  Smymiote  newspaper  the  news  that  the  '  Piraeus ' 
of  Athens  was  blockaded  by  an  English  squadron,  and 
that  the  British  Minister  had  been  withdrawn  from 
Athens. 

We  had  a  succession  of  Eussian  visitors  of  distinction 
— ^princes,  admirals,  military  officers,  diplomatists,  cham- 
berlains of  the  Emperor,  whom  we  had  the  pleasure  of 
welcoming  at  the  British  CJonsulate,  as  well  as  personages 
of  many  other  nationalities.  But  the  foreign  visitors 
of  eminence  during  this  period  were  mostly  Eussians— 
who  would  naturally  report  to  the  State  Departments 
of  their  own  country  what  might  be  useful  of  the  varied 
information  which  they  so  easily  acquired  by  reason  of 
their  free  access  to  all  classes  of  society  wherever  they 
went. 

During  the  three  years  preceding  the  outbreak  of  the 
Crimean  War,  we  had  also  some  half-dozen  visits  of  crews 
from  Eussian  ships  of  war  arriving  at  Jafia.  They 
generally  came  up  to  Jerusalem  in  bodies  of  thirty  or 
forty  at  a  time,  for  while  the  ships  lay  at  anchor  the 
crews  were  sent  up  in  successive  detachments.  These  men 
are  trained  to  military  as  well  as  naval  service.  They 
marched  in  a  uniform  of  white,  with  black  polished  belts, 


80      RUSSIAN  SAILORS  AT  THE  ENGLISH  CHURCH. 

and  carrying  side-arms  ;  they  entered  the  City  in  parade 
order,  having  dressed  up  the  file  upon  the  Meiddn  (Pub- 
Kc  Place),  before  their  reaching  the  gate. 

An  unexpected  incident  occurred  with  regard  to  some 
of  these  men.  It  is  well  known  that  real  Kussians  are 
no  amateurs  of  a  seafaring  life;  consequently  a  large 
proportion  of  their  marine  consists  of  natives  firom  the 
northern  shores  of  the  Baltic.  A  corps  of  these  seamen 
being  Finlanders  and  Lutheran  Protestants,  more  or 
less  conversant  with  the  German  language,  applied  at  our 
Protestant  church  for  the  privilege  of  receiving  the  Holy 
Communion  in  Jerusalem.  This  was  gladly  conceded, 
and  the  men  knelt  in  their  uniforms  at  the  rails  of  the 
Communion  Table,  in  Christ  Church,  with  the  most  serious 
devotion.  Each  one  at  his  departure  was  presented  with 
a  German  or  a  Eussian  New  Testament  from  the  Bible 
repository  near  the  church.  I  am  not  sure  that  Finnish 
was  to  be  had  at  that  time,  for  such  an  event  had  not 
been  expected. 

One  thing  must  not  be  forgotten,  which  is  that  before 
the  final  rupture  with  Turkey  in  1853,  Eussia  had  ob- 
tained from  Eeshid  Pasha  a  promise  that  permission 
should  be  given  to  build  at  Jerusalem  a  Eussian  church 
and  hospital  and  hospice  for  monks  of  that  nation.  The 
fulfilment  of  that  promise  was  claimed  after  the  peace  in 
1856.  How  the  Eussians  have  availed  themselves  of  it 
let  any  traveller  testify  who  has  visited  the  Holy  City, 
and  has  seen  the  Eussian  possessions  on  the  space  for- 
merly occupied  by  the  Maidan,  or  pubUc  promenade, 
where  the  Turkish  troops  assembled  in  1858  before  de- 
parting to  the  war,  as  described  in  the  opening  chapter, 
p.  3. 


THE  RUSSIAN  ARCHIMANDRITE  PORPHYRIOS.        81 

Hitherto  the  Eussians  had  appointed  no  Consul  for 
Jerusalem,  and  the  Eussian  Consul-General  at  Beyroot 
looked  after  the  civil  and  political  interests  of  the  Eus- 
sians, having  a  Jewish  Eabbi  under  his  orders  in  Jeru- 
salem, and  a  Eussian  vice-consul  in  Jaffa.  But  in  March 
1853,  when  the  Eiu-opean  consuls  went  to  offer  con- 
gratulations to  their  Austrian  colleague  on  the  Emperor's 
preservation  from  assassination,  they  met  there  the 
Eussian  Archimandrite  Porphyrios,  a  gentleman  of  very 
polished  and  affable  manners,  composed  in  speech,  pre- 
cise in  dress.  The  cross  suspended  on  his  breast  by  a 
large  gold  chain  contained  twelve  of  the  largest  rubies 
I  had  ever  seen.  This  dignitary  had  come  to  superintend 
the  religious  affairs  of  his  nation,  and  to  look  after  the 
pilgrims,  and  a  house  was  put  into  order  for  his  residence. 
The  first  ecclesiastic  despatched  for  this  purpose  to  Jeru- 
salem came  from  Eussia  about  1848,  to  the  intense  disgust 
of  the  Greek  local  ecclesiastics,  the  patriarch,  the  metro- 
politan, and  his  fellow-bishops.  Previously  tlie  Eussian 
Empire  had  been  accustomed  to  forward  a  yearly  subsidy 
of  fimds  to  the  Holy  City,  partly  as  a  contribution  to  the 
honour  of  the  Sanctuaries,  and  partly  for  maintenance  of 
the  national  pilgrims.  At  one  time  this*  amounted  to 
8,000/*  annually.  Among  other  resources  for  making  up 
this  fund,  the  army  and  navy  were  assessed  in  one  day's 
pay  of  each  year.  In  return  for  this  the  ecclesiastics  of 
Jerusalem  allowed  access  to  the  sacred  localities  and 
divine  offices,  with  residence  in  a  small  convent  out  of 
the  many  they  (the  Greeks)  possessed  within  the  walls. 

At  length  the  Imperial  Government  conceived  that  a 
time  was  come  for  themselves  to  manage  Eussian  affairs, 
VOL.  L  a 


82  BARON  OLSOFIEFF  READS  TO  THE  PILGRIMa 

especially  in  the  money  matters,  besides  providing  in- 
struction for  their  poor  people  in  their  native  language. 
The  Greek  or  Arabic  used  in  the  Church  services  at 
Jerusalem  were  unintelligible  to  the  Russians,  and  yielded 
but  poor  satisfaction  to  those  who  had  shown  their  devo- 
tion by  a  pilgrimage  of  above  a  thousand  miles.  I  knew 
an  instance  of  a  Eussian  nobleman  (Baron  Olsofieff)  feel- 
ing so  deeply  grieved  at  that  state  of  things,  and  at  seeing 
the  crowds  of  his  fellow-countrymen  attending  services 
of  which  they  could  understand  not  a  word,  that  he  went 
to  the  Protestant  English  Bible  store  and  bought  a  Rus- 
sian New  Testament.  The  use  he  made  of  it  was  to 
collect  around  him  every  morning,  during  the  several 
weeks  of  his  sojourn,  the  ignorant  yet  devoutly  inclined 
pilgrims,  and  read  to  them  portions  of  the  sacred  volume 
for  their  instruction — a  step  which  the  clergy  and  monks 
of  the  local  orthodox  establishment  regarded  with  as- 
tonishment. 

The  Greek  authorities  were  extremely  angry  ajfc  th^ 
Russian  inspection  of  accounts  alluded  to  above,  which 
they  considered  a  reflection  cast  upon  their  probity,  and 
tending  to  lower  the  prestige  of  their  absolute  supremacy 
in  the  eyes  of  the  natives.  The  Russians,  however,  at- 
tended but  little  to  such  scruples,  and  proceeded  vigo- 
rously to  their  task. 

The  Greek  Convent  authorities,  however,  had  set 
themselves  to  supply  any  deficiency  of  income  that  might 
arise  to  them  by  purchasing  land  in  or  near  Jerusalem, 
and  cultivating  the  ground  for  profit  wherever  that  was 
likely  to  be  advantageous.  This  they  were  able  to  do, 
because  some  of  the  members  of  the  convents  were  natives 


PURCHASE  OF  LANDS  BY  GREEK  CONVENT.    83 

of  islands  in  the  Archipelago,  and  therefore  Turkish  sub- 
jects, able  legally  to  buy  and  hold  landed  property. 
Monks  of  the  Greek  Church  may  hold  property  during 
life,  but  at  death  their  convent  is  the  heir  to  whatever 
they  may  have  possessed.^ 

^  The  Greek  monk  most  active  in  the  planting  and  cultivating  of  land 
acquired  near  Jerusalem,  was  one  named  Nikephory — ^who  had  within  the 
last  five  years  planted  many  thousand  mulberry  trees — besides  vines  and 
olives.  Of  late  he  had  been  fencing  in  these  plantations,  and  had  built  miles 
of  the  dry-stone  walls  used  here  instead  of  hedges  or  other  fence.  The  burly 
figure  and  jovial  face  of  Nikephory  were  familiar  to  all  the  residents  in 
Jerusalem.  It  was  pleasant  to  see  him  out  in  the  open  air  directing  the 
peasantry  who  worked  under  him,  and  to  reflect  that  the  result  of  this 
expenditure  of  money  and  labour  must  be  of  the  greatest  benefit  to  the  city 
and  to  the  inhabitants. 


G  2 


84 


CHAPTER  IV. 

OTHER  EUROPEAN   CONSULATES  IN  JERUSALEM. 

British  Oonsulate,  the  first  founded  in  1838 — ^France  and  Russia  founded 
theirs  in  ]  843 — Austrian  in  1840 — Sardinian  Consulate — Spanish  in  1854 
— Protection  of  Anglican  Bishopric  hy  English  and  Prussian  Consuls — M. 
Pizzamano  Austrian  Consul — Dr.  Schultz,  first  Prussian  Consul — Suc- 
ceeded by  Dr.  G.  Bosen — Prussian  Congregation  and  Institutions — Com- 
mercial and  Political  Consulates — Legal  functions  of  Consuls — ^Various 
people  protected  by  the  several  Consulates — ^The  'Capitulations' — Rank 
and  precedence  of  Consuls — ^Vice-Consuls  and  Cancelli^res — Interpreters 
^ dragomans^ — Their  position — Eaww&ses  or  Janissaries — Editoi^s  Note 
— Mr.  Finn,  the  British  Consul — The  yarious  peoples  within  the  territory 
over  which  the  Consulate  extended — People  protected — Amount  of 
business  transacted — Consulate  House. 

Of  these  Consulates  in  1853  there  were  four  in  Jeru- 
salem. The  earliest  established  was  the  British,  during 
the  Egyptian  regime  in  1838.  Mr.  W.  Young  was  the 
first  British  consul.  France  and  Prussia  came  in  1843, 
and  the  latest  was  the  Austrian,  which  commenced  in 
1849.  One  had  previously  existed,  founded  in  1843,  the 
Sardinian,  but  it  was  superseded  in  the  same  year  as 
the  Austrian  was  established.  A  Spanish  Consulate  was 
foimded  in  1854. 

The  two  Protestant  Consulates,  those  of  England  and 
Prussia,  had  no  share  in  the  altercations  about  the  Holy 
Places  and  the  Silver  Star,  and  aimed  at  no  kind  of  pro- 
tection over  Christian  subjects  of  the  Sultan,  even  though 
they  should  adopt  the  deiromination  of  Protestants.  Our 
relations  with  the  local  government  were  restricted  to 


EUROPEAN  CONSULATES.      ENGLISH  BISHOPRIC.      85 

protection  of  the  persons  and  property  of  fellow-country- 
men. The  Pnissian  Consulate  had  at  that  time  but  few- 
subjects  and  but  small  aflfairs  to  superintend ;  while  the 
English  had  its  own  subjects  of  both  residents  and  tra- 
vellers, besides  Maltese,  Indians,  Canadians,  and  other 
British  colonists,  with  the  lonians  ps  a  '  protected '  people, 
also  a  number  of  protected  Jews,  together  with  the  con- 
siderable property  of  a  church,  a  hospital,  various  schools, 
and  a  cemetery  to  be  watched  over. 

The  English  and  Prussian  Consulates  had  moreover 
the  joint  task  of  upholding  the  Protestant  (Anglican) 
bishopric  in  relation  to  the  Turkish  Government,  although 
the  person  and  family  of  the  bishop,  being  naturalised 
English  subjects,  claimed  as  such  the  offices  of  the  British 
Consulate.  The  bishopric  was  purely  English,  according 
to  the  terms  of  the  original  foundation,  but  the  King  of 
Prussia  had  the  alternate  nomination,  subject  to  the  veto 
of  the  Archbishop  of  Canterbury. 

The  European  Consuls  at  Jerusalem  were  all  men  of 
good  standing,  and  natives  of  the  coimtries  which  they 
severally  represented. 

The  French  Consul  has  been  already  described.  By 
this  time  the  Sardinian  Considate  had  been  given  up. 
The  Austrian  Consul  was  M.  Pizzamano,  a  Venetian, 
formerly  an  officer  in  the  '  Guarda  nobile  ; '  a  practised 
man  of  the  world,  of  easy  manners  in  society,  and  good- 
tempered.  He  sang  well,  having  a  charming  voice. 
M.  Pizzamano  was  confident  that  no  nation  could  match 
the  Austrians  in  diplomacy,  a  science  in  which  they  had 
long  been  unrivalled. 

In  political  ideas  it  was  natural  that  the  two  German 


86  PRUSSIAN  SYMPATHIES. 

Consuls  should  have  much  in  common^  and  that  in  an 
opposite  direction  from  the  views  of  France  and  England. 
But  it  was  always  clearly  understood  that  Prussia  sympa- 
thised less  than  Austria  with  Turkey  in  the  Russian  diffi- 
culty.^ 

*  EiDglake  has  well  stated  the  position  of  Austria  in  respect  to  this  war, 
'  The  power  most  exposed  to  harm  from  Russian  encroachments  upon 
European  Turkey  was  Austria ;  for  it  was  plain  that,  if  tier  great  neighbour 
of  the  North  were  to  extend  his  empire  in  the  direction  of  Moldavia,  Wal- 
lachia,  and  Servia,  and  so  come  windward  round  her  south-eastern  frontier, 

she  would  be  brought  into  grievous  danger 

.  .  .  .  Thus  upon  Austria,  before  all  other  powers  there,  attached  the 
care  of  guarding  against  encroachments  on  the  European  provinces  of  the 
Sultan,  and  the  cogency  of  this  duty  towards  herself,  towards  Germany  and 
towards  Europe  herself,  Austria  has  always  acknowledged/  ('  Invasion  of 
the  Crimea,'  vol.  i.) 

He  has  also  clearly  defined  the  influences  which  swayed  the  action  of 
Prussia : — 

'  Over  the  councils  of  Prussia,  at  this  time,  the  Court  of  St  Petersbuig 
had  a  dangerous  ascendancy,  but  by  his  actual  station  as  a  leading  member 
of  the  Confederation,  and  by  his  hopes  of  attaining  to  a  still  higher  authority 
in  Germany,  the  King  was  forced  into  accord  with  Austria  upon  all  questions 
which  touched  the  freedom  of  the  Lower  Danube,  and  it  was  certain  that  he 
would  do  aU  that  he  safely  could  to  discourage  schemes  for  the  disturbance 
of  the  Ottoman  Empire.  Still  he  lived  in  awe  of  the  Emperor  Nicholas,  and 
it  was  hard  to  say  beforehand  what  course  he  would  take  if  he  should  be 
called  upon  to  choose  between  defection  and  war.' 

The  war  of  1854  was  .undertaken  by  France  and  England  with  the 
immediate  object  of  forcing  Kussia  to  abandon  the  Danubian  Principalities ; 
but  the  impulse  which  they  obeyed  was  generated  by  a  conviction  which  had 
long  possessed  Western  Europe,  that  the  aggressive  policy,  the  arrogant 
demeanour  and  the  perpetual  intrigues  of  the  Czar  Nicholas  were  an  insult 
and  danger  to  the  whole  European  community. 

To  this  general  consent  of  European  opinion  there  was  a  remarkable  ex- 
ception. Though  the  German  people,  particularly  in  the  south,  were  against 
Russia,  whose  cold  and  heavy  hand  they  felt  upon  them — the  Prussian  Court, 
vrith  its  military  and  official  aristocracy,  were  understood  to  have  no  friendly 
feeling  for  the  allies.  They  denied  the  justice  of  the  war,  echoing  the 
Russian  assertion  that  the  Western  Powers  were  supporting  Mohammed- 
anism against  Christianity ;  they  did  not  conceal  their  pleasure  at  the  trials 
of  our  armies,  they  predicted  their  defeat,  and  were  thoroughly  disappointed 
at  the  issue  of  the  war.  Several  causes  united  to  produce  this  state  of  feel- 
ing.   One  was  the  close  relations  between  the  reigning  families  of  St,  Peters- 


PRUSSIAN  CONSULS.  87 

The  Prussian  Consul  in  Jerusalem  who  at  this  time 
(1853)  had  just  succeeded  my  friend  Dr.  Gustav  E. 
Schultz,  was  Dr.  G.  Kosen,  a  native  of  lippe-Detmold, 
near  Hanover,  who  had  been  Oriental  interpreter  to  his 
Embassy  in  Constantinople,  and  enjoyed  a  considerable 
reputation  for  Oriental  learning.  It  was  said  that  he 
had  reduced  even  the  Circassian  language  to  something 
of  grammatical  form.^  He  was  a  student  in  the  thorough- 
going German  sense  of  the  terin,  of  varied  reading,  and 
having  an  immense  accumulation  of  knowledge  on  lan^ 
guages  and  literary  subjects. 

burg  and  Berlin.  Another  was  the  weak  scrupulosity  of  the  late  King  of 
Prussia,  who  would  not  bring  himself  to  break  e^en  diplomatically  with  an 
old  ally ;  another  was  the  general  similarity  between  the  Russian  and  the 
then  existing  Prussian  systems  of  government  and  political  doctrine,  which 
gave  the  two  states  a  strong  fellow-feeling. 

But  we  believe  the  strongest  of  all  to  have  been  the  deep-rooted  jealousy 
of  France  which  has  possessed  the  Prussians  ever  since  the  days  of  Jena,  which 
has  been  nourished  continually  by  the  boasts  and  threats  of  the  French  on 
the  subject  of  the  Rhine  frontier.    ('  Times/  November  14,  1870.) 

'  We  were  told  by  Count  Bemstorff  that  Prussia  was  neutral  in  the 
Orimean  war,  benevolently  inclined  towards  Russia.'  (Buke  of  Cleveland's 
speech  quoted  '  Times,'  November  23,  1870.) 

^  The  following  extract  from  Mendelssohn's  '  Lettres  in^dites,  traduites 
par  Rolland,'  refers  to  the  brother  of  Br.  G.  Rosen.  The  fanuly  of  Mo- 
schellee  was  brought  into  close  connection  by  the  subsequent  marriage  of  the 
Prussian  Consul,  G.  Rosen,  with  Madlle.  S.  Moschelles. 

Lettre  LVIII.,  Londres,  Avril  27, 1832. 

Je  dois  rendre  visite  k  une  foule  de  gens  que  je  n'ai  pas  encore  vus,  tandis 
qu'avec  Klingemann,  Rosen  *  et  Moschelles  nous  nous  sommes  d^j^  remis  sur 
Tancien  pied,  comme  si  nous  ne  nous  ^tions  pas  quitt^s. 


*  Rosen  (Fr^d^ric  Auguste),  c^l^bre  orientaliste,  n^  le  2  Septembre  1805, 
4  Hanovre.  11  ^tudia  le  Sauscrit  sous  Bopp  et  en  1827  il  publia  ses  Radices 
san9crit€B.  II  fut  appel^  k  Londres  par  les  fondateiurs  de  la  nouvelle 
Universiti  de  Londres  pour  y  enseigner  les  langues  orientales.  (The  Editor 
adds  that  he  was  appointed  in  1853  to  the  Jerusalem  Consulate,  but  he  mis- 
takes him  for  hb  brother,  G.  Rosen.) 


88  COMMERCIAL  AND   POLITICAL  CONSULATES, 

There  were  at  this  time  resident  in  Jerusalem  twenty- 
one  adult  Germans,  Protestants  of  various  nations,  who 
belonged  to  the  Prussian  congregation,  and  who  were 
cared  for  by  the  Prussian  Consul.  A  hospice  for  travellers 
had  been  founded,  and  also  a  hospital  and  school  (for 
people  of  all  creeds)  under  one  of  the  Prussian  dea- 
conesses of  Kaiserswerth. 

At  the  latter  institution  a  pleasant  festival  was  annu- 
ally held  on  the  anniversary  of  the  foundation,  where  all 
the  friends  of  the  deaconesses  and  the  members  of  both 
the  English  and  German  congregations  used  to  assemble 
for  '  a  happy  meeting  conducted  with  simplicity/ 

In  establishing  consulates  all  over  the  world,  a  line 
of  distinction  seems  to  have  been  piu*posely  drawn  by  the 
European  Powers  to  include  or  exclude  national  profession 
of  Christianity  on  the  part  of  those  nations  to  whom  the 
Consuls  were  senl .  Hence  it  is  that  we  have  Consuls  icitk 
judicial  functions  by  means  of  capitulations  in  Moslem 
countries  and  in  China  ;  while  in  Christian  countries  they 
have  no  such  functions,  all  persons  alike  submitting  to 
the  laws  of  the  land  in  which  they  happen  to  live.  Thus 
in  Turkey  and  in  China,  as  in  Morocco,  the  European 
nations  have  political  as  well  as  commercial  Consulates. 
"Foreigners  residing  in  these  countries  have,  according  to 
treaty,  the  right  of  being  governed  by  their  own  laws — 
administered  by  their  own  officers  ;  they  are  not  amenable 
to  the  laws  of  those  lands  unless  when  in  collision  with 
the  natives  of  those  lands. 

The  Consuls  are,  therefore,  in  those  countries  invested 
with  powers  to  administer  the  laws  of  those  nations 
which  they  severally  represent.    All  Europeans  are  only 


LEGAL  FUNCTIONS  OF  (X)NSULS.  89 

amenable  to  their  own  national  codes,  administered  by 
their  own  Consuls ;  and  in  a  mixed  jurisdiction  case  of 
European  and  Ottoman  parties,  the  Consul,  or  his  deputy 
for  him,  has  the  important  right  of  witnessing  the  pro- 
ceedings, of  cross-examining  witnesses,  of  arresting  the 
action  even  before  decision,  when  dissatisfied  with  the 
mode  of  procedure,  and  finally  of  protesting  against  the 
sentence  given,  in  order  to  appeal  higher. 

Thus  a  cause  between  two  British  subjects  would  be 
brought  before  the  British  Consul,  and  not  before  any 
Tiurkish  authority,  and  it  would  be  decided  according  to 
British  law.  But  if  a  British  subject  had  any  claim 
against  a  Turkish  subject,  or  the  subject  of  any  other 
nation,  he  would  present  it  in  the  Turkish  Court,  or  in 
the  proper  Consulate  through  his  own  Consul,  who  would 
protect  his  interests  and  claim  for  him  the  full  benefit  of 
the  laws  of  Turkey,  or  whatever  might  be  the  country 
to  which  the  defendant  belonged.  And  if  a  British 
subject  had  committed  any  serious  crime,  as  murder, 
which  rendered  him  amenable  to  the  law  of  Turkey,  he 
could  only  be  tried  in  the  Turkish  Court  in  presence  of 
his  own  Consul,  whose  assent  would  be  required  before 
sentence  cx)uld  be  carried  out. 

Political  Consuls  are  not  allowed  to  engage  in  trade. 
A  Consul  of  this  description  is  the  official  representative 
of  his  countrymen,  and  protector  of  aU  their  interests. 
He  is,  moreover,  Judge  of  the  Consular  Court,  in  which 
all  causes  between  British  subjects  are  tried,  and  also  all 
minor  charges  made  against  British  subjects  by  one  of 
any  other  nation.  The  rule  in  all  mixed  cases  is  that  a 
cause  shall  be  tried  in  the  tribunal  of  the  nation  to  which 
tibe  defendant  belongs,  so  as  to  give  him  the  fiill  benefit 


90  EUROPEANS  PROTECTED  BY  CONSULS. 

of  the  laws  of  his  own  country  ;  while  the  prosecution  is 
carried  on  with  the  help  of  the  Consul  of  the  plaintiff, 
whom  the  Consul  is  bound  to  advise  and  inform  on  all 
points  necessary  for  his  advantage.  The  discountenancing 
of  litigation  and  promoting  of  friendly  arbitration  are 
also  among  the  duties  of  a  British  Consul. 

The  Turkish  Government  permitted  European  resi- 
dents or  travellers,  when  unrepresented  by  Consuls  of 
their  own  nation,  to  place  themselves  for  the  time  of 
residence  under  the  protection  of  any  European  Consul 
they  might  choose,  and  who  would  accept  the  charge ; 
generally  such  affairs  ran  in  grooves,  modified  by  circum- 
stances ;  thus  the  Austrian  Consulate  had  for  its  appendix, 
by  authority  from  home,  the  supervision  of  Belgian 
business,  by  reason  of  the  family  connection  of  those 
two  crowns ;  and  the  French  in  like  manner  acted  for 
all  the  states  of  Italy  at  the  request  of  the  latter,  besides 
having  the  general  office  of  Protection  of  all  the  Chris- 
tianity that  was  Eoman ;  while  the  Christianity  of  Eussia, 
Greece,  and  the  Protestant  countries  simply  declined  to 
avail  itself  of  the  French  protectorate  under  any  regime^ 
Orleanist,  Eepublican,  or  Imperial,  and  dealt  with  the 
Ottoman  ruler  each  on  its  several  behalf. 

With  respect  to  Germany,  its  people  distributed  them- 
selves mostly  according  to  the  belongings  of  the  *  Zollve- 
rein,'  which,  again,  almost  always  coincided  with  the  estab- 
lished religion  of  their  States  (Hanover  being  an  exception); 
the  Protestants  registering  themselves  with  the  Prussians, 
and  the  Eoman  Catholics  with  the  Austrians.  Danes, 
Swedes,  Dutch,  and  some  Tuscan  Jews,  as  also  Americans, 
usually  had  recourse  to  the  British  Consulate. 

The  territorial  extent  of  the  several  Consular  juris- 


TIIE  CAPITULATIONS.  91 

dictions  at  Jerusalem  was  the  same  as  that  of  the  Pashahc 
— only  the  English  one  embraced  the  whole  of  Palestine, 
from  Egypt  to  the  Lebanon. 

And  whereas  the  original  idea  of  the  establishment 
of  Consulates  in  Turkey  was  a  development  of  Embassies, 
with  a  view  to  protection  of  mercantile  interests,  it  was 
only  by  means  of  having  dependant  agencies  at  the  ports 
that  the  oflBce  of  Consul  could  have  been  fairly  recognised 
in  Jerusalem.  Once  instituted,  it  became  easy  to  engraft 
upon  that  office  other  duties,  as  was  in  fact  done  with 
advantage  to  the  country  represented  and  the  country 
which  allowed  them. 

The  Consub  act  under  authority  of  treaties  made  at 
simdry  times  in  the  seventeenth  and  eighteenth  centuries, 
which,  when  collected  together,  are  denominated  'the 
Capitulations.' 

In  our  days  the  Turks  are  impatient  of  tolerating 
these  Capitulations,  which,  they  contend,  were  suited  to 
earlier  times,  and  a  different  range  of  action.  Being  now 
admitted  to  the  comity  of  European  nations,  they  expect 
to  be  placed  on  the  same  footing  with  these  in  every 
point.  But  we  must  not  suffer  ourselves  to  ignore  the 
fact  that  the  official  morale  of  Turkish  governors  are 
not  yet  so  far  improved,  upon  those  of  former  days,  as  to 
admit  of  removing  British  lives  and  property-interests 
from  the  aegis  of  their  own  national  laws  and  responsible 
administration,  and  leaving  them  to  the  corruption  of 
Mohammedan  pashks  and  kadis.^ 

^  It  does  not  appear  necessary  to  discuss  here  the  subject  of  abrogating 
the  Turkish  capitulations,  on  the  ground  of  their  being  doruments  which 
have  outlived  their  time^  and  being  no  longer  suitable  to  the  civilisaUon  and 


92  RANK  OP  CONSULS. 

The  rank  of  the  Consuls  had  been  defined  to  be  equal 
with  that  of  the  Turkish  Governor,  or  Pashk — so  that 
disputes  about  the  proper  etiquette  might  be  avoided — 
and  British  Consuls  were  not  allowed  to  ride  out  to  meet 
and  receive  a  new  Pasha  on  his  arrival,  lest  their  doing 
so  should  be  construed  into  an  admission  of  his  being 
in  any  sense  subordinate  to  the  Pashk,  or  under  his  juris- 
diction. But  when  a  new  Pasha  (or  Consul)  arrived,  it 
was  customary  for  the  Consulates  to  send  their  Vice- 
Consuls,  Cancellieres,  dragomans,  and  kawwasses  out  of 
the  dty  to  meet  and  welcome  him — and  form  part  of  the 
procession  which  escorted  him  into  the  city.  Due  notice 
was  therefore  always  given  of  the  approach  of  the  new 
officer.  The  Consul  who  had  lived  longest  in  the  city 
was  regarded  as.  senior  by  the  rest,  who  gave  him  prece- 
dence as  *  Doyen ; '  the  others  followed  according  to  their 
seniority.  As  to  the  precedence  of  British  Consuls  in 
regard  to  their  own  countrymen,  that  was  settled  by 
regulation :  '  Consuls  rank  with,  but  after^  Captains,  K.N"., 
or  Colonels  and  Lieutenant-Colonels ;  but  before  Com- 
manders, E.N.,  or  Majors  in  the  Army.*    The  regula- 


commerce  of  our  age.  The  corrupt  practice  of  Turkish  Courts  and  favour- 
itism of  the  authorities,  on  which  from  experience  I  feel  strongly,  are 
sufficient  to  demand  still  the  continuance  of  some  strong  guarantees  for  pro- 
tection of  Europeans. 

This,  however,  I  may  assert,  that  the  abuses  and  irregularities  in  Consular 
action,  of  which  we  read  occasionally  in  newspaper  correspondence  and  in 
reports  of  Parliamentary  debates,  were  almost  unknown  to  us  in  Jerusalem. 
It  was  an  established  rule  never  transgressed,  that  in  mixed  ca^es,  whether  of 
our  subjects  with  Turkish  subjects,  or  with  European  foreigners,  the  matters 
at  issue  were  judged  and  sentenced  in  the  Court  of  the  Defendant — there  was 
no  confusion  at  aU  about  it.  And  as  for  unfair  protection  of  Turkish  subjects 
by  the  Consulates,  I  believe  that  existed  to  but  a  small  extent,  and  more  in 
the  sea  ports  than  with  us.    It  was  never  known  at  all  in  the  British  service. 


VICE-CONSULS.      CANCELLIERES.  1)3 

tions  also  provided  that  Consuls  should  be  entitled  to 
salutes  from  British  men-of-war,  to  the  number  of  seven 
guns,  and  Consuls-General  to  nine. 

To  most  of  the  Consulates  were  attached  gentlemen 
holding  the  rank  of  Cancelliere,  or  of  Vice-Consul,  and 
also  interpreters  (called  dragomans).  The  former  were 
generally  natives  of  the  country  represented  by  the 
Consulate  itself;  the  latter  were  almost  of  necessity 
Datives  of  Turkey,  because  English  and  other  foreign 
gentlemen  could  not  be  found  able  to  speak,  read,  and 
write  the  Oriental  languages,  Turkish  and  Arabic,  neces- 
sary for  the  transaction  of  business.  Perhaps  it  should 
rather  be  said  that  funds  were  not  at  disposal  of  the 
various  Consuls  to  enable  them  to  pay  adequate  salaries  to 
gentlemen  competent  to  perform  the  duties  required  of 
Consular  dragomans.  These  duties  were  often  very 
delicate,  and  it  was  essential  to  secure  gentlemen  in 
whom  confidence  could  be  placed.  Sometimes  natives 
educated  partly  in  Europe  were  employed.  The  other 
European  Consulates  were  enabled  to  seciure  the  attach- 
ment of  their  interpreters  by  a  more  hberal  system  of 
treatment  than  that  adopted  under  the  English  systeuL 

Dragomans  who  faithfully  served  the  Consulate  to 
which  they  were  attached,  were  obliged  to  break  with 
their  own  Government,  and  for  this  there  was  no  reward 
attainable,  even  after  many  years  of  ill-paid  service. 
There  was  neither  pension  nor  status  conferred,  so  that  a 
dragoman,  after  having  served  during  the  best  years  of 
his  life,  and  having  incurred  hostility  m  proportion  to  the 
fidelity  and  zeal  of  his  service,  was  at  last  liable  to  be  set 
adrift,  to  begin  life  over  again  and  be  exposed  to  ill-will 


94  DRAGOMANS.      KAWWASES. 

which  he  need  never  have  incurred,  unless  he  had 
subordinated  his  own  personal  interests  to  those  of  the 
nation  whose  temporary  employ^  he  had  been.  As  already 
said,  other  European  nations  managed  these  things  better 
than  we  did. 

Each  Consulate  had  attached  to  it  several  men  called 
Janissaries  or  Kaww&ses  (Bow-men),  i.e.  entitled  to  carry 
arms.  These  were  necessarily  Moslems,  because  they 
were  intended  both  as  body-guard  and  recognised  gens- 
d'armes  and  police.  It  was  necessary  that  they  should 
have  the  right  of  using  arms,  though  in  our  time  they 
were  used  for  shpw  rather  than  for  use,  and  that  they 
should  be  recognised  as  Moslems,  who  could,  if  necessary, 
be  useful  in  dealing  with  Moslems  who  might  be  aggres- 
sive in  attack.  They  might  safely  strike  or  lay  hands  on 
an  uiu'uly  Moslem,  or  arrest  him  if  a  thief,  which  a 
Christian  could  not  have  done  without  provoking  a  riot, 
if  not  worse. 

These  men  were  provided  with  silver-headed  staves  of 
office,  which  they  carried  when  on  official  business,  or 
when  escorting  the  Consul  himself  in  town  or  coimtry. 
They  preceded  the  Consul.  In  the  bazaars  people  usually 
rose  up  to  salute  a  Consul  as  he  passed  by,  and  sentinels 
on  duty  presented  arms.  At  sea,  it  was  customaiy  for 
steamers  on  nearing  port  to  hoist  the  flag  of  the  nation  to 
which  any  Consul  on  board  belonged.  Sometimes  two 
Kaww&ses  were  barely  sufficient  for  the  business  of  the 
consulate;  at  other  times  four,  five,  or  more,  were 
necessary. 

One  of  my  Kaww&ses  had  been  a  captain  of  the  Camel 
Commissariat  to  Ibrahim  Pashk's  army*     He  was  grave, 


EDITOR'S  NOTE.  95 

silent,  faithful  as,  steel,  and  brave  beyond  question,  as  on 
several  occasions  I  had  reason  to  know.  Another  was  a 
townsman  from  the  north  of  Syria,  who  had  served  in  the 
Army  of  Egypt  under  Mohammed  Ali  against  the  Waha- 
bees,  whom  he  held  in  abhorrence.  He  used  to  say  that 
in  battle  a  good  Moslem  ought  to  present  his  piece  at  the 
enemy — then  shut  his  eyes  and  lire,  and  God  sends  the 
bullet  where  He  wills.  This  is  in  warfare,  where  of 
course  there  is  no  personal  enmity.  Both  of  these  men 
were  Hajjis,  having  performed  the  Mecca  pilgrimage. 
The  latter  was  somewhat  bigoted;  but  they  both  exe- 
cuted all  the  business  which  I  entrusted  to  them,  without 
making  any  difference  to  the  disadvantage  of  Christians. 
Both  these  men  were  ready  at  all  times  and  willing  to 
mount  and  go  anywhere — in  any  weather,  sun  or  rain, 
-wind  or  snow,  at  a  moment's  notice ;  and  I  rarely,  if  ever, 
had  to  complain  of  the  least  departure  from  the  orders  I 
had  given  them  to  carry  out. 

EDITOKS  NOTE. 

The  author  has  described  the  various  Consulates  and  the 
machinery  by  which  they  were  carried  on,  I  may  be  per- 
mitted to  add  a  few  words  descriptive  of  himself. 

Mr.  Kinglake,  in  describing  Lord  Baglan,  declares  that  the 
best  way  of  enabling  men  to  arrive  at  an  estimate  of  a  man's 
character  is  to  give  '  honest  samples  of  what  he  said  and  what 
lie  wrote,  of  his  manner  of  commanding  men  and  maintaining 
an  alliance '  .  .  •  to  *  show  how  he  comported  himself  in  times 
of  heavy  trial.'  He  argues  that  in  this  way  *  his  true  nature, 
with  its  strength  and  with  its  human  failings,  will  be  so  far 
brought  to  light,  that  I  may  be  dispensed  from  the  need  of 
striving  to  portray  it ;  and,  contenting  myself  with  speaking  of 
some  of  the  mere  outward  and  visible  signs  which  showed  upon 


96  THE  BRITISH  CONSUL  MR.  FINN. 

the  surface,  may  leave  it  to  his  countrymen  to  ascend,  by  the 
knowledge  of  what  he  did,  to  the  knowledge  of  what  he  was.' 
(Kinglake's  '  Invasion  of  the  Crimea.') 

In  editing  and  compiling  this  '  History  of  the  Holy  Land 
during  the  Crimean  War,'  partly  written  by  my  husband  and 
partly  sketched  out  by  him  in  copious  notes  ready  to  be  put 
together,  I  have  felt  that  there  is  contained  in  tlie  history 
much  which  illustrates  the  life  and  character  of  my  husband 
himself,  during  this  important  period  of  his  eighteen  years' 
career  as  Her  Majesty^s  Consul  for  Jerusalem  and  Palestine. 
There  are  still  some  living  who  remember  the  time  within 
which  the  events  occurred,  and  who  were  then  in  the  Holy 
Iiand.  They  will  be  reminded,  as  they  read  these  pages,  of 
him  who  wrote  them,  of  his  frank  truthfulness — his  unfailing 
kindness  to  all  who  were  in  sorrow  or  distress — of  the  quiet 
courage*  that  shrank  from  no  duty,  however  dangerous  it 
might  be,  that  dealt  firmly  with  criminals  of  the  most  desperate 
character,  obtaining  their  arrest  and  punishment  without  regard 
to  anything  they  or  their  gang  of  evil*doers  might  attempt. 
They  will  recollect  how  he  went  fearlessly  about  by  day  or  by 
night  in  the  city  or  in  the  country — alone  if  necessary — ^how 
he  acted  promptly  without  bluster — never  wavered  or  went 
back  from  his  word ;  and  shrank  from  no  fatigue  if  there  was 
business  to  be  done — how  he  rode  from  Nazareth  t/O  Jerusalem 
in  two  days — from  Tiberias  in  a  day  and  a  half  when  his  pre- 
sence was  necessary — from  Hebron  to  Jerusalem  in  a  little 
more  than  two  hours,  when  the  depositions  were  to  be  taken  of 
a  poor  Jew  who  was  supposed  to  be  dying — or  to  Graza  in  a 
day  from  Jerusalem  for  the  comfort  of  the  frightened  Christians 
who  were  in  dread  of  a  Moslem  rising — ready  in  all  weathers, 
pouring  rain,  or  snow^  or  the  heat  of  the  Dead  Sea  plain  at  the 
end  of  August,  if  some  British  subject  needed  his  help,  or 
British  interest  needed  to  be  strengthened ! 

'  *  That  which  more  than  all  else  in  the  world  takes  hold  of  the  Oriental 
mind/  says  Einglake, '  is  strenf^th  held  in  reserve.'  To  the  Orientals  at  least, 
with  whom  he  had  to  do,  Mr.  flnn's  quiet  manner  conveyed  the  impression 
of  '  strength  held  in  reserve.'  They  and  others  used  to  say  they  could  not 
bear  the  steadfast  gaze  of  Ids  eye. 


UMITS  AND  POPULATION  OF  JERUSALEM  CONSULATE.     97 

There  are  still  some  left  who  will  fill  in  the  portrait  of 
which  this  History  cannot  fail  to  suggest  some  outlines  to  those 
who  knew  the  author  as  the  patient,  kind,  and  just  British 
Consul,  who,  amid  many  discouragements  and  trials,  strove  to  do 
his  duty,  and  to  carry  out  the  policy  of  England  as  laid  down 
by  the  instructions  given  him,  and  interpreted  by  the  actions 
of  his  superiors.  Colonel  Rose  (Lord  Strathnaim)  in  the 
Lebanon,  Sir  Stratford  Canning  (Lord  Stratford  de  Redcliffe) 
at  Constantinople,  and  Lord  Palmerston  in  London. 

Within  the  British  Consulate  of  Jerusalem  and  Palestine 
were  three  independent  Pashalics — ^those  of  Jerusalem,  Acre, 
and  Saida  (Sidon) ;  the  Pasha  of  the  latter  district  resided  at 
Beyroot.  It  extended  in  those  days  from  the  frontiers  of  Egypt 
to  the  confines  of  the  Beyroot  Consulate  in  the  Lebanon,  and 
from  the  Mediterranean  Sea  as  far  eastwards  as  British  travellers 
might  be  found  in  need  of  aid  or  protection. 

The  various  peoples  within  the  territory  over  which  the 
Consulate  extended  were  Turks,  Arabs,  Jews,  Fellahheen  (pea- 
santry), Samaritans,  Druses,  Maronites,  Ansaireyeh,  Syrians^ 
Kurds,  Gipsies,  Turkomans,  all  natives  of  the  land. 

Besides  these  were  representative  communities  of  Arme- 
menians,  Copts,  Abyssinians,  Negro  and  other  African  races, 
Persians,  Tartars,  G-reeks,  Indians,  and  all  the  great  European 
nations.  Pilgrims  came  from  all  these  and  from  the  smaller 
nations — Bulgarians,  Wallachians,  Circassians,  Afghans.  Some- 
times even  Chinese  came,  and  an  increasing  number  of  European 
and  American  travellers  arrived  year  by  year. 

There  were  the  religious  communities  of  all  the  Christian 
Churches,  native  and  foreign,  eastern  and  western, — the  Shiah 
Moslems  among  the  Metawilah  in  the  north,  Jews  of  all  kinds, 
including  Karaites. 

And  some  of  almost  all  these  found  their  way  to  the  British 
Consulate,  for  one  reason  or  another. 

Those  whom  the  British  Consul  of  Jerusalem  was  bound  to 

protect  were,  first,  all  English-bom  British  subjects,  whether 

from    Great  Britain,  India,  the  colonies,  or  Malta,  whether 

residents  or  travellers  between  the  boundaries  of  Egypt  and  thQ 

yOL.  I.  H 


98  DUTIES  AND  SALARY. 

Lebanon,  south  to  Petra,  or  as  fer  eastwards  beyond  Jordan  as 
British  travellers  chose  to  venture.  Then,  the  prot^g^  as 
Ionian  islanders  (before  the  cession  of  the  Islands),  Russian 
Jews  transferred  to  British  care,  and  Europeans  who,  having  no 
other  Consul,  chose  the  British  Consul  as  their  own  for  the  time 
being.  The  British  Consul  was  also  instructed  to  use  his 
friendly  offices  on  behalf  of  the  Samaritans,  Abyssinians,  and  all 
Jews  in  distress. 

With  all  the  business  of  this  extensive  Consulate  to  transact, 
it  was  not  possible  to  have  the  assistance  of  either  Secretary, 
CancelliSre,  or  Vice-Consul  during  these  years,  1853-6.  Mr, 
E.  T.  Bogers  had  formerly  been  Mr.  Finn's  CancelliAre,  but  was 
now  appointed  Vice-Consul  in  Caiffa.  He  happened  to  be  in 
Jerusalem,  and  was  therefore  sent  to  attend  the  Pashd.  at 
Hebron  in  1853,  and  again  to  bring  the  Rev.  S.  Lyde  fix)m 
Nabloos  after  the  riot.  But  in  the  business  of  the  Consulate 
there  was  no  assistant  but  the  Arab  and  Jewish  interpreters  for 
their  own  special  department.  The  Consul's  salary  (till  1861) 
was  nominallv  550^.,  with  1502.  for  official  allowance.  The 
5S0L  was  reduced  by  double  (war)  income  tax,  superannuation 
tax,  etc,  nearly  lOOi.,  leaving  only  4502.,  out  of  which  to  sup- 
plement the  150i.  which  was  wholly  insufficient  for  pay  of  in- 
terpreters— Kawwasses,  official  fees  on  stated  occasions  to  Orien- 
tals, besides  the  keep  of  a  horse,  stationery,  and  other  expenses 
inseparable  from  the  duties  of  office.  It  may  be  imagined  that 
after  deduction  of  all  these  there  was  not  much  left  for  main- 
tenance and  education  of  family,  and  nothing  at  all  for  salary 
of  Secretary  and  Cancelli^re.  So  that  the  British  Consul  alone 
of  all  the  Consuls  in  Jerusalem  had  to  do  the  work  of  his  office 
single-handed.  The  despatches  for  1853-6  to  London,  Bey- 
root,  and  Constantinople,  were  in  number  761.  There-  were 
office  registers  to  be  minutely  kept  and  accounts.  There  were 
the  weekly  letters  to  the  agents  at  Jaffa,  Caiflfa,  Acre,  Tyre, 
and  Sidon.  There  were  all  the  documents  and  letters  referring 
to  cases  brought  before  the  Consular  court,  or  in  other  Consul- 
ates, or  the  Turkish  courfs  and  the  Pashs^  with  innumerable 
travellers'  applications  and  letters. 


BRITISH  CONSULATE  HOUSE.  99 

The  public  olBSce  work  by  day,  and  all  this  mass  of  writing 
chiefly  by  night, — What  health  or  stretigth  could  endure  the 
strain  of  all  this  labour,  anxiety,  and  responsibility  during 
seventeen  years  of  unbroken  work  in  harness  ? 

The  British  Consulate  Houae. 

The  Turkish  Government,  after  Syria  had  been  restored  to 
them,  were  induced  by  the  representations  of  interested  parties 
to  stop  the  building  of  the  English  church,  begun  on  Mount 
Zion  during  the  days  of  the  Egyptian  occupation  of  the  country 
under  Mehemet  Ali. 

The  London  Jews  Society,  to  whom  the  funds  for  building 
the  Church  were  entrusted,  then  applied  to  the  British  Govem- 
menty  and  in  1845  Sir  Stratford  Canning  obtained  a  Firman 
authorising  the  building  to  be  continued  as  a  Consular  Chapel. 

Plans  were  therefore  drawn  out  for  the  British  Consulate, 
which  was  to  be  at  the  entrance  of  the  square  of  buildings 
intended  to  surround  the  Church,  and  the  Consul  was  requested 
to  occupy  as  soon  as  possible  a  house,  to  be  built  first,  adjoining 
the  Church,  intended  as  the  parsonage,  and  to  use  it  as  the 
temporary  Consulate  until  the  real  one  could  be  built.  This 
proposal  was  accepted  in  order  that  the  building  of  the  Church 
might  be  no  longer  delayed. 

But  the  British  Consulate  never  was  built  at  all. 

The  parsonage-house  was  occupied  by  the  Consul  till  1857, 
when  it  was  given  up  by  request  of  the  Committee  of  the  Jews 
Society,  who  represented  to  the  Government  that  in  the 
altered  state  of  affairs  since  the  publication  of  the  Sultan's 
Edicts  of  Toleration,  there  would  be  no  longer  any  need  for 
Chri^  Church  to  be  regarded  as  a  Consular  Chapel. 

The  parsonage  was  ill  adapted  for  a  Consulate,  having  in 
all  only  six  rooms  besides  the  underground  kitchen,  &c.  The 
three  bedrooms  allowed  of  no  accommodation  for  domestic 
servants.  The  two  principal  sitting  rooms,  thrown  into  one, 
afforded  only  tolerable  accommodation  for  the  Consul's  business 
and  receptions,  and  the  family  had  but  one  small  room,  ten  feet 

h2 


100     THE  CONSULATE  HOUSE  TOO  SMALL, 

by  twelve,  for  all  purposes.  There  was  no  accommodation  for 
officials — whether  Secretary,  Gancellidre,  Dragomans,  or  even 
Kawwasses. 

The  other  European  residents  had  domestic  servants  in 
their  houses.  The  English  Bishop  and  the  foreign  Consids  had 
room  for  their  official  Kawwasses.  No  one  but  the  British 
Consul  and  his  fitmily  were  thus  left  without  room  for  the 
most  necessary  attendance  by  night,  or  even  any  waiting  room 
for  Kawwasses  and  the  numerous  applicants  on  business  of  every 
kind,  for  shelter  by  day  from  sun  in  summer,  and  rain  and 
snow  in  winter. 

During  the  last  few  months  a  small  office  near  at  hand  was 
repaired  and  let  to  the  Consul  for  rmd  by  the  kindness  of  the 
Lay  Secretary  to  the  mission.' 

In  order  to  complete  our  picture  of  the  c>ondition  of 
affairs  in  the  Holy  Land  during  the  Crimean  war,  several 
other  classes  of  people  must  be  described — the  Jews, 
native  and  foreign,  and  the  Protestants,  native  and  foreign. 

Lastly,  it  will  be  necessary  to  give  some  account  of 
the  governors  of  the  country,  the  Turks,  and  of  the 
nature  of  their  hold  upon  the  province,  and  of  the  ma- 
chinery by  which  it  was  maintained :  also  of  the  general 
Moslem  population  all  over  the  country.  To  these  sub- 
jects the  succeeding  chapters  shall  be  devoted. 

^  The  late  Mr.  Jamee  Graham. 


101 


CHAPTER  V. 

POSITION    OP    JEWS    IN    PALESTINE — PERSECUTION — ^ENGLISH 
PROTECTION  OF  JEWS — TRANSFER  OF   RUSSIAN  JEWS. 

Position  of  Jews  in  Palestine — Four  holy  Oities:  Jerusalem,  Hebron, 
Tiberias,  and  Safed — Sephardxm,  or  Spanish  Jews — ^  First  in  Zion/  %.  e. 
Chief  Babbi — His  Council  or  Beth-din — Synagogues — Ashkenasim,  or 
European  Jews  from  Germany,  Russia,  &c. — Lord  Palmerston's  protection 
of  Jews  in  Palestine,  1889 — ^Blood-persecution  in  Damascus,  1840 — 
Further  action  of  Lord  Palmerston,  1841 — Threatened  persecution  in 
1847  by  the  Greek  Christians — Scene  in  the  Pash&'s  Court — Action  of 
British  Consul — Jews  excluded  from  the  Church  of  the  Holy  Sepulchre 
— Transfer  of  Russian  Jews  to  British  protection — ^Special  fasts  observed 
by  the  Jews — Visit  of  Sir  M.  Montefiore — Jewish  coinage — Anointing  of 
the  Keys  of  Jerusalem  by  the  Jews — Dues  paid  to  Moslems — Wailing 
place — Rachel's  Sepulchre — Place  of  Slaughtering — Employment  of  Jews 
at  Industrial  Plantation  and  Urtas — Industrial  plans  of  Sir  M.  Montefiore 
— Rothschild  and  the  'Hebrew  Alliance'  —  System  of  ShUichuth,  or 
Messengers — Attachment  of  Israelites  to  the  Holy  Land — Chdluka,  or 
distribution  of  Alms — Hebrew  language  living  still — Used  in  the  British 
Consulate — Hebron  and  Safed  Jews — Excellent  moral  character  of  the 
Jews — ^Translation  of  Addrei^  from  Rusuan  Jews. 

During  Hadrian's  reign  the  final  revolt  of  the  Jews  took 
place,  under  the  False  Messiah  Bar  Cochab,  and  the 
nation  was  then  fully  expelled  from  the  Land  of  Promise. 
A  few  returned  to  Jerusalem  after  the  Moslem  conquest ; 
but  the  Jews  were  never  fiilly  tolerated  till  after  Saladdin 
had  overthrown  the  Crusading  kingdom,  and  finally  esta- 
bhshed  Moslem  rule.  Aft^r  this  period  Jews  gradually 
crept  back  to  the  Holy  City. 

At  the  period  of  this  history  (1853-6),  there  were 
about  10,000  Jews  in  Jerusalem.    The  modem  Jews 


102  THE  SEPHARDIM. 

within  their  ancient  land  cannot  fail  to  present  an  inte- 
resting field  for  contemplation. 

In  1853  the  Hebrew  population  was,  as  now,  almost 
entirely  congregated  within  their  four  holy  cities  :^-Jeru- 
salem,  sacred  to  them  on  accomit  of  the  Temple  and  its 
sacrifices ;  Hebron,  on  account  of  Machpelah,  in  which 
are  laid  the  three  Patriarchs  and  their  wives,  excepting 
Eachel ;  Tiberias  and  Safed,  as  cradles  of  the  Talmud  and 
homes  of  venerated  Kabbis  of  ancient  generations. 

The  people  are  to  be  classed  as — 

1.  The  Orientals^  called  '  Sephardim,'  who  are  almost 
exclusively  subjects  of  Turkey,  and  speak  Spanish  in  their 
family  intercourse,  being  mainly  descendants  of  the  re- 
fugees from  Spain  and  Portugal,  when  banished  thence  in 
the  fifteenth  century :  their  very  dialect  of  the  Spanish 
language  is  antique  in  its  peculiarities.  These  people  are 
but  few  in  Safed  and  Tiberias;  but  in  Jerusalem  and 
Hebron  are  more  numerous.  In  Jerusalem  they  more 
than  double  the  number  of  other  Jews,  and  are  regarded 
by  the  Turkish  authorities  as  the  Jews  par  excellence. 
Their  representative  to  the  government  is  styled  the 
'  Chacham  Bashi '  in  Turkish,  but  among  his  own  people 
he  enjoys  the  honoured  appellation  of  'First  in  Zion.'^ 
His  secretary  is  also  recognised  as  a  public  oflScer,  having 
a  seat  in  the  Common  Council  of  the  city.  This  Chief 
Eabbi  administered  civil  and  religious  law  under  penalties 
of  fine,  imprisonment,  and  bastinado,  to  the  extent 
allowed  by  the  Pentateuch.  He  is  assisted  by  a  council 
of  seven  Eabbis,  called  the  '  Seven  Seals,'  each  of  whom 
is  a  judge  in  an  inferior  court  of  his  own.     Besides  these, 

*  jl^V^  f\^\X^  of  Isaiah  xli.  27,  "without  the  Italics  of  our  English  version. 


THE  FIRST  IN  ZION.  103 

there  are  officials  in  sufficient  variety  among  themselves, 
superintending  different  departments  of  administration. 

The  Chief  Eabbi  and  his  council  aflEect  the  outward 
forms  of  supremacy  in  dealing  with  Eabbis  or  synagogues 
of  foreign  countries,  based  on  the  text  of  Isaiah  ii.  3: 
*  For  out  of  Zion  shall  go  forth  the  law,  and  the  word  of 
the  Lord  from  Jerusalem ; '  but  in  the  present  state  of  the 
Hebrew  nation,  the  Eabbis  of  other  lands  concede  to  him 
no  pre-eminence  in  authority.  The  chief  at  Amsterdam 
or  Wilna  considers  himself  no  more  bound  to  submit  to 
the  chief  at  Jerusalem  than  he  would  be  to  the  chief  of 
Paris  or  London,  notwithstanding  that  a  certain  degree  of 
sanctity  and  deference  would  anywhere  be  attributed  to 
the  ruler  of  the  people  in  the  Holy  City — ^at  lea6t  such 
was  the  case  till  of  late  years. 

In  times  gone  by  these  native  Jews  had  their  fiill 
share  of  suffering  from  the  general  tyrannical  conduct  of 
the  Moslems,  and,  having  no  resources  for  maintenance  in 
the  Holy  Land,  they  were  sustained,  though  barely,  by 
contributions  from  synagogues  all  over  the  world.  This 
mode  of  supply  being  understood  by  the  Moslems,  they 
were  subjected  to  exactions  and  plunder  on  its  account 
from  generation  to  generation  (individuals  among  them, 
however,  holding  occasionally  lucrative  offices  for  a  time). 
This  oppression  proved  one  of  the  causes  which  have 
entailed  on  the  community  a  fiightful  incubus  of  debt, 
the  payment  of  interest  on  which  is  a  heavy  charge  upon 
the  income  derived  from  abroad. 

In  Jerusalem  their  synagogues  are  four,  and  all  col- 
lected under  one  roof,  so  that  they  may  pass  from  each 
into  the  others,  and  they  axe  but  meanly  furnished.    They 


104        ■  THE  SYNAGOGUES.     TIEE  ASHKENAzIM. 

are  named — 1.  The  Great;  2.  The  Medium;  3.  The 
Tahnud  Torah ;  4.  The  Stambouli.  The  people  believe 
the  first  of  these  to  have  remained  imdisturbed  since  the 

fall  of  the  second  Temple. 

f  . 

Such  is  the  outward  framework  of  their  society.  The 
small  commimity  of  Arabic-speaking  Morocco  Jews  of 
similar  origin  with  these  are  subject  to  the  Sultan. 

2.  There  is  a  distinct  community  of  Jews  called  the 
'  Ashkenfl^im,'  who  are  an  aggregate  of  various  religious 
sections.  They  are  mostly  natives  of  Germany,  Eussia, 
and  the  Danubian  principalities ;  their  common  language  is 
in  substance  German,  but  modified  by  Kussian,  Polish,  or 
Wallachian,  according  to  their  native  places.  As  subjects 
of  European  Powers,  they  are,  equally  with  Christians 
from  the  same  respective  countries,  placed  under  consular 
protection  and  magistrature,  according  to  the  capitulations 
with  the  Porte.  Their  children,  though  born  in  Pales- 
tine,  retain  the  nationality  of  the  parents.  These,  how- 
ever, are  not  numerous,  and  the  Ashkenaz  population  is 
kept  up  by  fresh  arrivals  from  abroad  of  persons  in  old 
age,  who  come  for  the  privilege  of  dying  and  being 
buried  in  holy  ground.  Each  sect  of  the  Ashken^zim 
(Perushim,  Chab&d,  Ansh^  Hod,  &c.)  is  independent  of 
the  rest,  and  has  its  separate  '  House  of  Judgment '  and 
synagogue.  The  Chorbah  synagogue  of  the  Perushim, 
recently  restored  from  a  ruin  of  ancient  date,  is  believed 
to  have  existed  from  the  days  of  Eabbi  Judah  han-Nasi, 
the  compiler  of  the!  Talmud]  Mishnah* 

Upon  the  internal  government  of  both  divisions  of 
Judaism,  in  the  Holy  Land,  with  all  its  abuses  of  irre- 
sponsible Eabbinical  domination,  the  observations  that 


JEALOUSIES  BETWEEN  THE  COMMUNITIES.        105 

might  be  made  do  not  seem  to  belong  to  the  character 
of  this  work.  They  are  well  understood — alas !  too  well 
— ^in  the  country  itself ;  and  the  Israelites  of  Europe,  who 
are  aware  of  the  same,  while  despairing  of  a  remedy, 
have  little  desire  to  see  the  evils  divulged,  as  they  are 
fearful  of  the  foundations  of  Eabbinism  itself  becoming 
consequently  undermined. 

Until  the  English  Consulate  was  established  in  Jeru- 
salem, there  was,  of  course,  no  other  jurisprudence  in  the 
country  than  that  of  the  old-fashioned  corruption  and 
self-will  of  the  Mohammedans,  and  for  many  ages  but 
very  few  (often  none)  of  the  European  Jews  ventured  to 
make  an  abode  in  Palestine.  A  man  is  now^  living,  who, 
as  a  child,  was  brought  there  by  his  father  on  a  venture, 
as  there  was  then  no  Ashkenaz  congregation  in  Jerusalem 
— the  father  just  made  up  the  minyan^  or  number  of  ten, 
required  by  Jewish  canon  law  to  form  a  congregation  for 
public  worship.  According  to  our  ideas  it  is  scarcely 
praiseworthy,  in  the  '  Sephardim,'  that  they  have  always 
placed  obstacles  in  the  way  of  European  Jews  forming 
settlements  together  with  them  in  the  Holy  Land,  declar- 
ing to  the  Turkish  authorities  that  there  are  difficulties  in 
the  way  of  recognising  these  people  as  genuine  IsraeUtes, 
and  much  of  that  feeling  still  remains,  as  I  have  reason 
to  know ;  indeed,  it  is  upon  this  groimd  that  the  *  Sephar- 
dim  *  hold  their  monopoly  from  the  government  for  legal 
slaughtering  of  animals  for  food  to  be  used  by  all  the 
Jews  in  Jerusalem. 

The  Egyptian  Government,  with  its  rigour  and  rough* 
handed  justice,  afforded  much  reUef  to  all  non-Moslem 

^  In  1872. 


l06         LOKD  PALMERSTON  PROTECTS  THE  JTEt*^. 

inhabitants  of  Jerusalem ;  and  the  institution  of  consulates 
in  the  Holy  City  proved  a  further  blessing  to  non-Turkish 
subjects  of  all  religions,  but  especially  to  the  poor  op- 
pressed IsraeUtes. 

In  1839,  Lord  Palmerston's  direction  to  his  first  C!on- 
sul  in  Jerusalem  was  '  to  afford  protection  to  the  Jews 
generally.'  The  words  were  simply  those,  broad  and 
hberal  as  under  the  circumstances  they  ought  to  be,  leav- 
ing after .  events  to  work  out  their  own  modifications. 
The  instruction,  however,  seemed  to  bear  on  its  face  a 
recognition  that  the  Jews  are  a  nation  by  themselves,  and 
that  contingencies  might  possibly  arise  in  which  their 
relations  to  Mohammedans  should  become  different, 
though  it  was  impossible  to  foresee  the  shape  that  future 
transactions  might  assume  on  the  impending  expulsion  of 
the  Egyptians  from  Syria. 

Then  came  the  atrocities  of  Passover,  1840,  in  Dar 
mascus,  inflicted  on  the  Jews  there  for  the  alleged  crime' 
of  eating  or  drinking  the  blood  of  the  Capuchin  Friar, 
Thomas — cruelties  and  murders  that  were  hounded  on 
by  the  French  Consul,  Eugene  Bor6 — and  this  was  during 
the  Egyptian  regime.  In  the  summer  of  that  year  the 
Jewish  deputation  from  Europe,  consisting  of  Montefiore, 
Cremieux,  and  Lowe,  arrived  in  Syria  for  investigation  of 
those  deplorable  occurrences.  A  few  months  later  came 
the  bombardment  of  Acre  and  restitution  of  Syria  to  the 
Turks.  Then  our  Government  at  once  brought  before  the 
consideration  of  the  Porte  the  condition  of  Jews  already 
settled,  or  who  might  afterwards  settle  themselves  in 
Palestine. 

In  April  1841,  Lord  Palmerston  forwarded  a  circular 


PEBSECUnON  OF  JEWS.  107 

to  his  agents  in  the  Levant  and  Syria,  which  began  by 
stating  that,  as  far  as  documents  could  avail,  the  law  of 
Turkey  had  by  that  time  become  all  that  might  reason- 
ably be  expected  for  toleration  of  the  Jews,  but  that  the 
diflBculty  remained  as  to  enforcing  an  honest  administra- 
tion of  that  law.  The  Porte,  however,  had  declared  its 
determination  that  the  law  should  be  righteously 
administered,  and  had  even  promised  Her  Majesty's 
Ambassador  that  '  It  will  attend  to  any  representation 
which  may  be  made  to  it  by  the  Embassy,  of  any  act  of 
oppression  practised  against  the  Jews.' 

The  Consul  was,  therefore,  to  investigate  diligently 
all  cases  of  oppression  exercised  upon  Jews  that  might 
come  to  his  knowledge,  and  report  to  the  Embassy,  and 
although  he  might  only  act  officially  in  behalf  of  persons 
actually  as  of  right  under  British  protection  (by  this  time 
there  was  a  French  Consul  in  Jerusalem),  the  Consul  was 
on  every  suitable  occasion  to  make  known,  to  the  local 
authorities,  that  the  British  Government  felt  an  interest 
in  the  welfare  of  Jews  in  general,  and  was  anxious  that 
they  should  be  protected  from  oppression.  He  was  also  to 
make  known  the  offer  of  the  Porte  to  attend  to  cases  of 
persecution  that  might  be  reported  to  the  Embassy. 

Accordingly,  in  1842  a  bad  case  was  thus  represented 
as  occurring  at  Hebron,  on  the  part  of  Shaikh  Baddo  and 
others. 

In  1847  it  seemed  probable  that  the  Christian  pil- 
grims, instigated  by  the  Greek  ecclesiastics,  were  about 
to  reproduce  the  horrors  enacted  at  Rhodes  and  Damascus 
in  1840. 

A  Greek  pilgrim  boy,  in  a  retired  street,  had  thrown  a 


108  ACCUSATIONS  MADE  BY  THE  GREEKS. 

stone  at  a  poor  little  Jew  boy,  and,  strange  to  say,  the 
latter  had  the  courage  to  retaliate  by  throwing  one  in  re- 
turn,  which  unfortunately  hit  its  mark,  and  a  bleeding 
ankle  was  the  consequence.  It  being  the  season  of  the 
year  when  Jerusalem  is  always  thronged  with  pilgrims 
(March),  a  tumult  soon  arose,  and  the  direst  vengeance 
was  denounced  against  all  Jews  indiscriminately,  for 
having  stabbed  (as  they  said)  an  innocent  Christian  child, 
with  a  knife,  in  order  to  get  his  blood,  for  mixing  in 
their  Passover  biscuits.  The  poUce  came  up  and  both 
parties  were  taken  down  to  the  Seraglio  for  judgment ; 
there  the  case  was  at  once  discharged  as  too  trivial  for 
notice. 

The  Convent  Clergy,  however,  three  days  afterwards, 
stirred  up  the  matter  afresh,  exaggerated  the  state  of  the 
wound  inflicted,  and  engaged  to  prove  to  the  Pashk  from 
their  ancient  books  that  Jews  are  addicted  to  the  above 
cannibal  practice,  either  for  purposes  of  necromancy,  or 
out  of  hatred  of  Christians,  on  which  His  Excellency 
unwisely  suffered  the  charge  of  assault  to  be  diverted  into 
this  different  channel,  which  was  one  that  did  not  concern 
him  ;  and  he  commanded  the  Jews  to  answer  for  them- 
selves on  the  second  day  afterwards.  In  the  interval, 
both  Greeks  and  Armenians  went  about  the  streets  in- 
sulting and  menacing  the  Jews,  both  men  and  women, 
sometimes  drawing  their  hands  across  the  throat,  some- 
times showing  the  knives  which  they  generally  carry  about 
with  them,  and,  among  other  instances  brought  to  my 
notice,  was  that  of  a  party  of  six  catching  hold  of  the  son 
of  the  late  Chief  Eabbi  of  London  (Herschell)  and 
shaking  him,  elderly  man  as  he  was,  by  the  collar,  crying 


SCENE  m   THE  PAShX'S  COURT.       109 

out,  *  Ah !  Jew,  have  you  got  the  knives  ready  for  our 
blood ! ' 

On  the  day  of  the  Seraglio-hearing,  the  scene  in  the 
Mejlis  was  a  most  painful  one.  The  Greek  ecclesiastical 
party  came  down  in  great  force,  and  read  out  of  Church 
historians  and  controversial  writings  of  old  time  the 
direct  and  frequent  accusations  levelled  against  the  Jews 
for  using  Christian  blood  in  Passover  ceremonies.  The 
Moslem  dignitaries,  being  appealed  to,  stated  that  in  their 
sacred  books  such  charges  against  the  Jews  are  to  be 
found  indirectly  mentioned,  and  therefore  the  crime  may 
be  inferred  as  true:  it  was  possible  to  be  true.  The 
Babbis  deputed  from  the  Chief  Eabbi,  pale  and  trem- 
bhng  argued  from  the  Old  Testament,  and  all  their  legal 
authorities,  the  utter  impossibihty  of  the  perpetration 
of  such  acts  by  their  people,  concluding  with  an  appeal 
to  the  Sultan's  Firm&n  of  1841,  which  declares  that 
thorough  search  having  been  made  into  this  matter, 
both  as  to  Jewish  doctrine  and  practice,  the  people  of 
Israel  were  entirely  innocent  of  that  crime  advanced 
against  them. 

On  this  the  Pashk  required  them  to  produce  the 
Firmftn  on  the  second  day  afterwards,  the  intervening  day 
being  Friday,  the  Moslem  Sabbath.  I  then  arranged  with 
the  Pashk  that  I  should  be  present  at  the  meeting,  and 
early  on  Saturday  went  down  to  the  Seraglio ;  but  earlier 
still  His  Excellency  was  happy  (he  said)  to  acquaint  me 
that  the  Pirm&n  had  been  produced,  and  on  his  asking 
the  accusers  and  the  Effendis  in  council  if  they  could 
venture  to  fly  in  the  face  of  that  document,  they  had, 
with  all  loyalty,  pronounced  it  impossible ;  he  therefore 


110    ACTION  OF  THE  BRITISH  CONSUL  AND  MISSIONARIES. 

had  disposed  of  the  case  by  awarding  a  trifling  fine  for 
medical  treatment  of  the  wounded  ankle. 

No  other  Consul  took  part  in  the  business,  except  that 
the  Sardinian  assured  me  in  private  conversation  that 
there  could  be  no  doubt  of  Jews  using  Christian  blood  in 
the  Passover  rites  whenever  they  could  get  it ;  or  at  any 
rate  that  they  did  so  in  the  Middle  Ages. 

On  the  other  hand,  the  Protestant  missionaries  to  the 
Jews,  during  the  time  of  the  dispute,  offered  to  the  Chief 
Eabbi  their  aid  by  testifying  that,  whereas  they  were  all 
learned  in  Jewish  matters,  and  some  of  them  Jews  by 
birth  and  education,  the  charges  respecting  the  use  of 
blood  were  entirely  false.  It  did  not,  however,  seem 
necessary  to  accept  their  friendly  offer.  The  P^ishk 
doubtless  by  this  time  perceived  that  the  case  was  Ukely 
to  prove  more  troublesome  than  was  expected.^ 

In  the  same  year  I  was  again  obliged  to  interfere  on  be- 
half of  the  Jews.  Solomon  Aglai,  a  Jew,  was  on  his  way  to 
Jaffa  by  night,  accompanied  by  a  Moslem  muleteer,  and 
both  were  robbed  and  murdered  on  the  highway ;  both 
were  Turkish  subjects,  and  a  considerable  stir  was  made  in 
the  matter.  A  report  from  some  malicious  quarter  reached 
the  Pashk  that  the  Chief  Eabbi  had  instigated  the  crime 
for  reasons  of  his  own  ;  in  consequence  the  Jewish  official 
dragoman  was  seized  and  imprisoned  for  some  hours  till 
further  particulars  should  come  to  light.  This  caused  a 
great  panic  among  the  Jews,  who  implored  my  help,  and 
considerable  excitement  among  the  Moslems.  Having 
satisfied  myself  that  it  must  be  a  false  accusation,  and 

^  The  Pash^  perceived  that  the  case  was  being  carefully  watched  by  the 
British  Consul;  who  would  report  any  injustice  done  to  the  Jews. — ^Ed, 


JEWS  EXCLUDED  FROM  THE  HOLY  SEPULCHRE.     Ill 

aware  that  it  was  dangerous  to  let  the  idea  gain  ground 
that  the  Jews  had  had  a  Moslem  murdered,  I  applied 
to  His  Excellency,  representing  my  instructions  from 
home.  The  charge  against  the  Chief  Eabbi  was  then 
dropped,  and  no  more  was  heard  of  it.  The  excitement 
subsided  as  quickly  as  it  had  arisen. 

About  this  time  a  Jew  was  set  upon  by  the  crowd  of 
fanatic  Christian  pilgrims,  and  nearly  killed,  for  having 
crossed  the  farthest  side  of  the  open  square  which  is  in 
front  of  the  Church  of  the  Holy  Sepulchre ;  he,  being  newly 
arrived  from  Europe,  was  unaware  of  the  city  custom 
which  restricts  that  passage  to  Christians,  who,  however, 
admit  the  Moslems  because  they  dare  not  shut  them  out. 
Eedress  was  sought  through  the  English  Consulate, 
although  the  man  was  a  Bussian  or  an  Austrian  subject, 
because  he  had  no  Consul  of  his  own.  I  appealed  to  the 
Pashk.  The  Greek  ecclesiastics  pleaded  before  him  that 
the  passage  was  not  a  pubUc  thoroughfare,  but  part  of  the 
Sanctuary  pf  Christianity,  and  only  used  for  transit  upon 
sxifferance.  They  even  dared  to  send  me  word  that  they 
were  in  possession  of  an  ancient  Firm&n  which  fixed  the 
'  Deeyeh,'  or  blood-fine,  to  be  paid  by  them  if  in  beating 
a  Jew  in  that  vicinity  for  trespass  they  happened  to 
kill  him,  at  the  sum  of  ten  parks,  about  one  half-penny 
English.  However  ridiculous  or  wicked  such  a 
message  might  be,  it  was  nevertheless  a  duty  to  report  it 
at  Constantinople,  with  a  view  to  an  authoritative  con- 
tradiction of  the  statement.  As  might  have  been  ex- 
pected, the  official  reply  was  that  no  such  document  ever 
existed.  Thus  that  mischievous  untruth  was  silenced,  but 
the  incident  shows  the  disposition   of  the  high  convent 


112     FOREiaN  OFFICE  INSTRUCTIONS  ABOUT  JEWS. 

authorities  towards  the  Jews.  It  may  be  that  they  them- 
selves believed  there  was  such  a  Rrmftn:  if  so,  what 
degree  of  pity  or  UberaUty  could  one  expect  from  the 
multitude  of  brutal  pilgrims  ?  The  Pashk  said  that  he 
know  of  no  such  Firm&n  as  that  referred  to,  but  that 
Greeks,  Latins,  and  Armenians,  aU  believed  a  Jew  might 
be  killed  with  impunity  under  such  circumstances. 

In  consequence  of  this  and  some  other  circumstances 
taking  place  in  Jerusalem,  another  instruction  was  issued 
by  the  Foreign  Office,  to  the  effect  that  whenever  any 
Austrian,  French,  or  other  European  Jew  should  be 
suffering  under  persecution  or  injustice,  and  should  be 
repudiated  by  his  own  Consul,  the  English  Consul  might 
take  up  his  case,  unless  the  repudiating  Consul,  when 
applied  to,  should  assign  some  strong  and  sufficient  reason 
for  objecting  to  that  action.  The  spirit  herein  contained, 
notwithstanding  the  establishment  since  of  other  Consu- 
lates, was  in  conformity  with  the  rule  in  1839  *  to  afford 
protection  to  Jews  generally.'  The  Eussian  Jews  had  of 
late  increased  considerably  in  number  among  us — not- 
withstanding the  stringent  laws  of  that  empire  for  keep- 
ing its  population  at  home.  Even  for  leaving  the 
country  for  brief  periods,  vexatious  formalities  and  fees 
had  to  be  submitted  to  by  all  classes  of  Eussian  subjects, 
and  sureties  were  required  to  answer  for  the  reappear- 
ance of  the  travellers  in  order  to  satisfy  the  requisitions 
of  taxes  and  military  conscription,  at  the  date  written  on 
the  passport;  and  besides  all  these  conditions  when 
fulfilled,  the  license  to  travel  abroad  was  discountenanced 
rather  than  encom^aged. 

All  this  was  felt  more  keenly  by  Jews  than  by  other 


TRANSFER  OF  RUSSIAN  JEWS.  113 

classes  of  the  Eussian  population,  for  they  entertained  a 
peculiar  horror  of  the  Eussian  conscription,  which 
entailed  violations  of  their  laws  for  Sabbath  and  diet, 
with  compulsory  attendance  at  church  image-worship. 
Still,  when  the  wit  and  determination  of  a  Jew  have 
only  to  grapple  with  the  venaUty  or  obtuseness  of  Eus- 
sian officials,  obstacles  often  displace  themselves.  Jews 
were  smuggled  over  the  frontier,  and  the  numbers 
repairing  to  Jerusalem  for  the  inestimable  privilege  of 
being  buried  there  became  alarming.  At  length  the 
Imperial  Government  resolved  upon  assuming  fresh 
vigour  of  action  within  its  dominions,  and  to  get  rid  of 
the  troublesome  responsibility  involved  in  looking  after 
people  who  never  meant  to  return,  and  whose  sureties 
had  no  sufficient  means  for  paying  up  the  arrears  of  the 
home-taxes ;  this  trouble  was  all  the  greater  since  there 
was  no  Eussian  Consul  at  Jerusalem. 

It  was,  therefore,  determined  to  set  adrift  all  the 
Eussian  Jews  then  found  in  Palestine,  furnishing  them 
with  papers  of  dismissal,  which  also  allowed  them  to 
resort  for  protection  to  any  European  representatives 

r 

they  might  think  proper  to  select,  but  recommending  the 
English  Consulate.  These  papers  were  written  in  French 
and  Arabic,  and  delivered  by  the  Eussian  Vice- Consul  in 
Jaffa.  This  was  in  1848,  at  a  period  of '  entente  cordiale ' 
between  England  and  Eussia,  and  when  no  cloud  had 
appeared  in  the  sky  intimating  peril  to  Turkey. 

Only  those  who  have  ever  known  the  sentiments  of 
Jews  within  the  Eussian  dominions  can  adequately 
imagine  the  joy  of  these  emancipated  people — ^they  were 
'  As  those  that  dream,'  and  they  flocked  in  large  numb^rg 

VOL.  I.  I 


114        ADDRESS  TO  THE  QUEEN,     SPECIAL  FASTS, 

]to  the  English  Consulate  for  protection,  though  some,  on 
account  of  family  connections  or  transactions  of  business, 
took  Austrian  or  other  protection.  A  register  of  names, 
dates,  etc.,  of  these  proUgis  was  duly  kept  in  the  con- 
sulate, the  business  of  which  was  consequently  much 
augmented. 

As  one  of  the  many  tokens  of  gratitude,  from  the 
people  so  benefited,  will  be  found  in  the  Appendix^  the 
translation  of  an  address  in  Hebrew  to  Her  Majesty  the 
Queen,  received  in  Jerusalem  in  July,  1849.  It  was  a 
beautiful  specimen  of  penmanship  on  parchment.  The 
translation,  although  exact,  affords  but  a  feeble  idea  of 
the  gracefulness  of  the  composition  with  its  Oriental 
peculiarities. 

Early  in  February,  1853,  both  the  Sephardi  and  the 
Ashkenaz  Jews  observed  a  special  fast,  though  for 
different  reasons.  The  Sephardim  had  received  a  letter 
from  Salonica  stating  that  a  Jew  had  been  murdered  by 
some  Christians  there,  that  the  Jews  had  killed  those 
Christians,  and  that  this  had  been  the  signal  for  a  general 
attack  upon  the  Jews.  This  was  the  story,  and  the 
Chief  Babbi  regarded  it  as  sufficient  cause  for  proclama- 
tion of  a  public  general  fast. 

The  Ashkenazim  had  been  alarmed  by  news  of  a 
decree  of  the  Emperor  of  Eussia  (Nicholas),  forbidding 
the  Jews  in  his  dominions  to  observe  their  Sabbath  or  to 
practise  the  rite  of  Circumcision;  also,  prohibiting  the 
Jewish  slaughter  of  animals  for  food,  excepting  under 
payment  of  a  very  heavy  tax.     This  was  the  report  from 

»  See  p.  180, 


ARRIVAL  OF  SIR  MOSES  MONTEFIORE.  115 

Eussia.  We  had  no  means  of  testing  its  accuracy,  but 
the  proclamation  of  the  fast  showed  what  the  Jews 
thought. 

A  very  important  event  had  occurred  some  time  before 
in  the  visit  of  Sir  Moses  Montefiore  to  Jerusalem.  He 
arrived  in  the  heat  of  the  summer.  The  Hebrew  popula- 
tion was  stirred  to  its  utmost  depth  by  the  tidings  of  his 
approach — approach  involving  the  certainty  of  a  liberal 
almsgiving,  as  well  as  indirectly  more  permanent  benefits. 
A  deputation  of  Kabbis,  in  holiday  apparel,  with  the 
Chief  Eabbi,  rode  out  to  receive  their  illustrious  country- 
man at  some  distance  the  day  before  his  entrance  into  the 
Holy  City. 

At  an  early  hour  on  that  day  the  roads  and  fields 
were  thronged  with  an  unwonted  Jewish  population,  for 
these  were  seldom  to  be  met  outside  the  city  walls,  except 
in  small  companies,  and  that  but  occasionally,  in  the 
opposite  direction,  going  to  Eachel's  Sepulchre  or  to 
Hebron.  It  was  a  wonderful  spectacle,  never  before  wit- 
nessed. Sir  Moses  and  his  lady  were  attended  by  the  late 
Colonel  Gawler,  riding  in  brilliant  scarlet  uniform,  white 
plumes,  his  Waterloo  and  several  other  medals,  etc.  Near 
the  city  gate  the  multitude,  of  all  denominations  of  people, 
was  immense,  and  the  principal  personages  of  the  proces- 
sion went  at  once  to  the  Synagogue,  while  the  tents  were 
pitched  on  the  MeidS-n  outside  the  north-west  comer  of 
the  wall. 

Never  before  in  modem  times  had  there  been  a 
Jewish  demonstration  publicly  made,  for  in  former  days  of 
oppression  and  sorrow  it  would  have  been  as  impohtic  as 
impossible, 

I  2 


116  DISTRIBUTION  OF  ALMS, 

Sir  Moses  visited  the  Paahk,  introduced  by  me  as  his 
Consul,  and  then  went  to  the  roof  of  the  barracks  to 
overlook  the  enclosed  site  of  the  ancient  Temple — '  the 
courts  of  the  Lord's  house.' 

Three  days  later  occurred  the  great  Jewish  fast  of 
*  the  ninth  of  Ab,'  when  all  stay  at  home,  seated  on  the 
ground,  with  feet  bare,  fasting  rigidly,  in  commemoration 
of  the  two  destructions  of  Jerusalem  and  the  Temple, 
first  by  Nebuchadnezzar,  and  next  by  Titus. 

After  a  visit  to  Hebron,  Sir  Moses  and  his  party  left 
us  by  way  of  Jafia.  This  was  his  second  visit  to  the 
Holy  Land,  and  he  left  behind  some  very  substantial 
remembrances  in  the  form  of  money  distribution,  both  on 
his  own  part  and  from  the  European  collections.  It  was 
commonly  reported  that  every  Jewish  man,  woman,  and 
child,  indiscriminately,  received  a  silver  dollar;  and 
there  was  an  imagination  abroad  that  this  unusual  mode 
of  ahnsgiviDg  was  adopted  in  order  to  obtain  a  correct 
census  of  the  Jewish  population,  without  fljring  in  the 
face  of  Eabbinical  prejudice,  which  forbids  the  numbering 
of  the  people,  in  dread  of  incurring  the  calamities  which 
were  caused  by  King  David  having  done  it. 

Of  more  enduring  value  than  the  money  distribution 
was  the  impression  left  upon  the  public  mind  that  the 
Jews,  hitherto  so  despised,  had,  in  England  at  least,  one 
wealthy  and  honoiured  representative,  through  whom  the 
griefs  of  his  brethren  in  Palestine  might  make  themselves 
heard  in  Europe. 

Before  concluding  this  sketch  of  Jewish  affairs,  we 
may  take  notice  of  two  curious  peculiarities  of  Jerusalem 
— ^both  founded  on  the  idea  of  the  place  being  still  their 


JEWISH  COINAGE.      ANOINTING  OP  THE  CITY  KEYS.       117 

own — an  idea  which,  although  but  a  shadow  at  present 
in  relation  to  other  people,  is  not  without  weight  among 
themselves.^  The  customs  are,  of  course,  limited  to  the 
'  Sephardim,'  or  Israelites  of  the  country. 

One  is  the  coining  of  money,  or  rather  of  an  equiva- 
lent to  that  special  prerogative  of  royalty  (Matth.  xxii. 
19).  The  articles  are  small  squares  of  brass-foil,  stamped 
with  the  Hebrew  words  D^^in  iipsi  i-^-  '  Visiting  the  Sick.' 
The  practice  seems  to  have  originated  in  adopting  a 
fictitious  currency,  on  temporary  occasions,  as  a  means 
of  almsgiving,  in  anticipation  of  real  money  coming  to 
hand.  In  the  Jewish  bazaar  these  pieces  are  current  for 
all  purposes  of  trade,  and  are  sometimes  accepted  and 
passed  among  other  inhabitants  of  the  city  as  parks, 
though  inferior  in  value  to  even  that  smaQ  coin.  The 
Tmrks  disapprove  of  the  practice,  and  now  and  then 
take  the  trouble  to  prohibit  it.  The  Jews,  however,  are 
proud  of  their  show  of  independent  royalty,  and  even  if 
willing  to  discontinue  it,  would  find  it  difficult  to  call  in 
these  tokens,  so  long  as  their  heavy  debt  remains,  for 
they  do  actually  represent  a  certain  amount  of  metalHc 
value. 

The  other  custom  is  that  of  getting  possession  of  the 
great  keys  of  the  city  gates  on  the  decease  of  each  Sultan 
of  Constantinople,  and  after  a  religious  service  of  prayer, 
and  anointing  them  with  a  mysterious  preparation  of  oil 
and  spices,  allowii^  them  to  be  retiuned  to  the  civic 

^  Since  my  leaving  the  country^  the  Jews  commenced  the  publication  of 
a  Jerusalem  newspaper  in  Hebrew  (of  which,  by  the  way,  there  are  seyeral 
in  other  countries)  called,  I  believe,  *i^atDn  *  the  Guide,'  but  which  was 
fioon  suppressed  by  the  Turkish  rulers,  on  theb  being  told  that  the  Jews 
speak  of  that  city  and  land  as  their  own. 


118  CURIOUS  CEREMONIAL. 

authorities  on  behalf  of  the  new  monarch.  For  the 
exercise  of  this  traditional  custom  they  make  heavy 
presents  to  the  local  governors,  who  allow  of  a  harmless 
practice  that  has  prescription  to  show  on  its  behalf.  It  is 
a  matter  of  '  bakhsheesh '  to  them,  and  there  is  always  a 
class  of  superstitious  people  to  be  found  in  Palestine  who 
think  that  the  benediction  of  the  ancient  *  children  of 
Israel'  is  worth  having;  the  Jewish  feelings  are  gratified, 
for  their  expectation  of  thcf  future  is  refreshed,  and  the 
Jerusalem  Eabbis  are  enabled  to  boast  all  the  world  over 
among  their  people  that  they  sufler  the  Sultan  of  Turkey 
to  keep  possession  of  the  Holy  City. 

The  Moslems  imagine  the  ceremonial  to  be  the  bene- 
diction of  the  incoming  reign,  but  for  my  part  I  should 
like  to  know  what  words  are  used  in  this  consecration  of 
the  keys  with  the  '  anointing  oil,'  and  how  many  of  these 
words  have  cabalistic  or  *  Rashi  Tevoth '  interpretations 
and  double  meanings,  for  it  would  be  vain  to  expect  to 
find  the  formula  in  any  printed  books.  I  am  told  that  in 
the  Sephardi  Synagogue  are  preserved  small  phials  of  the 
'  anointing  oil,'  remaining  from  over  these  ceremonials  of 
many  past  Sultans ;  but  at  the  time  we  are  now  consider- 
ing (1853),  the  Jews  had  not  for  some  years  performed 
the  ceremony,  having  had  no  opportunity  of  doing  so.^ 

Notwithstanding  these  glimpses  of  honorary  distinction 
the  Jews  are  humiliated  by  the  payment,  through  the 
Chief  Eabbi,  of  pensions  to  Moslem  local  exactors,  for 
instance  the  sum  of  300Z.  a  year  to  the  Effendi  whose 
house  adjoins  the  'wailing  place,'  or  fragment  of  the 

« 

^  The  ceremony  was  duly  observed  in  1861,  on  the  accession  of  'Abdu'l 
'Azis  to  the  throne^ 


DUES  PAH)  TO  MOSLEMS.  119 

western  wall  of  the  Temple  enclosure,  for  permission  to 
pray  there ;  100/.  a  year  to  the  villagers  of  Siloam  for 
not  disturbing  the  graves  on  the  slope  of  the  Mount  of 
Olives ;  50Z.  a  year  to  the  Ta'amra  Arabs  for  not  injuring 
the  Sepulchre  of  Eachel  near  Bethlehem,  and  about  10/. 
a  year  to  Shaikh  Abu  Gosh  for  not  molesting  their  people 
on  the  high  road  to  Jaffa,  although  he  was  highly  paid  by 
the  Turkish  Government  as  Warden  of  that  road.     All 
these    are  mere  exactions  made   upon  their  excessive 
timidity,  which  it  is  disgraceful  to  the  Turkish  Govern- 
ment to  allow  to  be  practised.    The  figures  are  copied 
from    their  humble  appeals  occasionally  made  to  the 
synagogues  in  Europe.     Other  minor  impositions  were 
laid  upon  them  which  they  were  afraid  to  discontinue  to 
pay,  such  as,  to  one  man  (Moslem)  for  superintending 
the  slaughtering  of  cattle  by  themselves  for  food,  to  see 
that  it  is  performed  by  the  Sephardi  Eabbi  who  has  pur- 
chased his  hcence  to  do  it.    Periodical  presents  likewise 
of  sugar,  etc.,  to  the  principal  Moslems  at  their  festivals. 

One  more  observation  upon  the  condition  of  the 
Jews  in  Jerusalem.  At  that  time,  and  for  many  cen- 
turies previous,  the  common  shambles  of  the  city  (called 
the  Meslakh)  was  kept  in  the  midst  of  their  quarter.  The 
offal  accumulated  in  a  deep  and  wide  pit,  was  never 
cleared  out,  and  of  course  at  all  seasons,  particularly  in 
summer  heat,  was  most  prejudicial  to  health,  and  so  it 
remained  for  a  few  years  after  the  Eussian  war  was  over. 
It  was  there  before  the  conquest  by  the  Arabs,  for,  ac- 
cording to  tradition  of  all  classes  of  people,  it  was  pur- 
posely left  there  after  its  existence  being  reported  to  Cahph 
Omar;  and  it  is  mentioned  as  being  there  later  by  a 


120  BELIEF  OP  DISTRESS  BY  EMPLOYMENT. 

Norman  writer  in  the  time  of  the  Crusades  (see  Williams* 
'  Holy  aty '). 

Let  me  record  an  effort  made  for  relief  of  Jewish 
extreme  poverty  by  means  of  agricultmral  employment. 
At  all  times  distress  and  suffering  are  greatly  felt  within 
the  Jewish  quarter ;  it  was  particularly  the  case  in  1852. 
Under  such  circumstances  the   commonest   impulse  of 
humanity  would  have  led  us  to  try  some  means  for  suc- 
couring a  people  so  lamentably  devoid  of  resources  among 
themselves  ;  and  as  it  seemed  advisable .  to  do  more  than 
supply  daUy  bread  to  mendicants,  even  if  that  were  pos- 
sible, the  best  idea  that  suggested  itself  was  that  of  pro- 
viding employment,  however  light,  in  field  work,  both  as 
a  means  of  earning  daily,  food  for  the  family,  and  also  for 
the  advantage  of  health,  in  preparation  for  future  useful- 
ness ;  above  all  for  promoting  a  character  of  indepen- 
dence among  the  sufferers.    At  first  the  experiment  was 
tried  of  employing  some  fifty  men  in  very  simple  work 
on  my  own  ground,  called  the  TaUblyeh,  one  mile  distant 
firom  the  city  gate.     Others  were  also  sent  to  work  in  the 
valley  of  Urtfis,  beyond  Bethlehem,^  to  Mr.  Meshullam, 
who  engaged  four.     The  numbers  who  came  to  us  for 
work  increased,  and  at  length,  as  will  be  shown  after- 
wards, a  plot  of  ground  was  bought  by  us  for  the  purpose 
of  such  employment,  and  called   *  the  Industrial  Planta- 
tion ; '  but  the  Eabbis  discountenanced  the  work,  as  they 
did  later  the  industrial  and  educational  schemes  of  Mon- 
tefiore,  Kothschild,  or  the  *  Hebrew  Alliance.'    However, 
from  that   time  forward  the  idea  slowly  gained  ground 

^  Considerable  numbers  of  Jews  were  afterwards  employed  by  us  in 
Urtas. 


SYSTEM  Ot'  SfilLlCHtTTH.  121 

both  among  Christians  and  Jews,  that  the  condition  of 
the  Israelites  in  Jerusalem  could  be  most  effectually  im- 
proved by  means  of  Industrial  Institutions. 

Besides  the  regular  advantages  (which  were  enjoyed 
by  British  subjects  and  proUgis\  the  Jews  generally  were 
glad  to  have  a  Consulate  to  which  they  could  apply  for 
formal  attestations-  and  seals  of  documents,  and  of  peti- 
tions which  they  despatched  over  the  world. 

Any  other  Consuls,  if  applied  to,  would  also  make 
these  attestations,  etc.,  for  them  ;  but  in  matters  concern- 
ing charity  they  were  obtained  from  us  gratis. 

Not  that  I  approved  of  the  system  called  *  ShilicMih^ 
but  that  notwithstanding  all  its  abuses,  there  seemed  to  be 
at  that  time  no  other  means  for  alleviating  the  aboimd- 
ing  misery  among  the  Jews. 

This  system  of  *  SchilichMi '  deserves  to  be  explained. 
A  '  Shiliach '  is  a  messenger.  The  committee  in  Jeru- 
salem for  collection  of  charity,  namely,  the  Chief  Eabbi 
('  First  in  Zipn '),  and  his  Council,  partition  the  world 
into  districts  over  which  they  send  '  Shilichim '  to  collect 
funds  on  their  behalf  by  visitation,  by  Synagogue  preach- 
ing, by  sale  of  objects  having  religious  value,  or  by  any 
other  means  that  may  suggest  themselves  to  the  intel- 
ligence of  these  messengers.  They  are  fiirnished  witii 
magnificent  documents  in  beautiful  handwriting  in  the 
Holy  Language,  and  of  fine  oriental  composition,  to  which 
are  appended  numerous  large  seals  giving  to  such  docu- 
ments due  authority. 

A  Deed  of  Agreement  is  likewise  drawn  up  between 
the  bearer  (the  ShiUach\  and  the  committee  of  congre- 
gational officers  by  whom  he  is  sent,  allowing  him,  besides 


i22  THE  SHILIACH. 

travelling  expenses,  a  large  percentage  upon  all  that  he 
can  collect.  That  percentage  varies  according  to  the 
countries  to  which  he  is  commissioned,  generally  in  pro- 
portion to  the  expected  diflSculties  or  dangers  that  he  may 
have  to  encounter,  or  the  distance  to  be  traversed.  Thus 
the  allowance  for  a  journey  to  India  or  Barbary  would 
mount  higher  than  that  for  repairing  to  France  or 
Germany,  and  if  the  business  be  methodically  managed, 
the  bearer  has  to  bring  back  with  him  a  book  in  which 
each  Synagogue  that  contributes  has  specified  its  own 
amount  of  contribution  in  detail,  and  has  attested  that 
statement  by  its  own  official  seal.  In  some  instances  the 
Shiliach  will  be  absent  for  two  or  three  years,  and  some- 
times, fresh  fields  are  visited,  as,  for  instance,  California, 
or  Australia,  with  New  Zealand, 

The  deputed  messenger  is  usually,  or  was  formerly, 
entertained  wherever  he  goes,  with  honours  considered 
only  due  to  one  who  has  breathed  the  air  of  the  Holy 
Land,  who  has  prayed  at  the  remnant  of  .the  Western 
wall  of  the  Temple  enclosure,  or  has  been  in  Hebron, 
in  the  same  city  with  the  Sepulchres  of  Abraham,  Isaac, 
Jacob,  Sarah,  Leah,  and  Rebekah.  His  benediction  is 
eagerly  sought  for  and  is  repaid  by  hospitality  and  high 
place  in  the  Synagogue.  These  honours  have,  however, 
been  much  diminished  since  the  facilities  for  travelling, 
afforded  by  steamboats  and  railways,  have  altered  the 
condition  of  things,  and  have  done  away  with  not  only 
the  actual  hardships  to  be  endured  by  the  way,  but  also 
have  tended  to  diminish  the  marvels  and  the  wonders 
which  in  former  days  gathered  round  the  facts  which  the 
Shilickivi  had  to  report. 


AWACaMENT  OP  tews  TO  THE  HOLY  LAND.      12^ 

The  intense  attachment  of  a  believing  Israelite  to 
the  Holy  Land  can  be  but  faintly  appreciated  by  others. 
In  proportion  to  the  bitterness  of  soul  and  to  the  suffer- 
ings attendant  on  the  exile,  so  is  the  affection,  the  yearning 
of  heart  towards  the  beautiful  Land  of  Promise  where 
sleep  the  fathers  of  the  people.     '  I  long  to  return  there 
as  a  child  to  its  mother,'  are  literally  the  words  used  by 
a  Jew  who  had  visited  Jerusalem.     The  miracles  which 
attended  the  deliverance  from  Egypt,  the  giving  of  the 
law,  the  forty  years  in  the  desert,  the  entrance  into  and 
possession  of  the  Land ;  the  splendour  of  David's  king- 
dom, and  the  culminating  glory  of  the  Divine  Presence  in 
the  Holy  House :  all  these  are  for  ever  present  to  the 
mind  of  a  pious  Israelite,  kept  fresh  and  vivid  by  the  con- 
stant recital  of  their  Liturgies,  by  the  never-ceasing  study 
of  the  sacred  writings,  the  law,  the  prophets,  the  psalms. 
What  wonder  that  in  far  distant  lands  the  living  messen- 
gers from  the  ruins  of  the  Holy  City  and  Temple  should 
be  looked  upon  with  veneration,  that  willing  hearts  are 
moved  to  give  Uberally  for  the  support  of  brethren  who, 
for  love  of  Gtod  and  their  nation,  have  been  ready  to  go 
and  suffer  among  *  the  heathen,'  in  order  that  they  may 
offer  supplications  where  alone  they  believe  they  can  be 
completely  effectual — at   the  Sanctuary  itself — ^for  the 
termination  of  the  long  tribulation,  for  the  fulfilment  of 
all  the  glorious  promises  of  restoration  that  have  during 
centuries  past  nerved  the  people  of  Israel  to  endure,  and 
to  look  forward  through  present  agonies — imdespairing, 
uncrushed— -to  the  coming  glory,  the  final  bliss  that  are  to 
outshine  all  the  past  by  a  splendour  scarcely  to  be  con- 
ceived 1 


124  CHALtKA.     DISTRIBUTION  OF  ALMS. 

Who  are  the  persons  benefited  by  the  fiinds  raised 
as  thus  described,  and  brought  to  Jerusalem  by  the 
Shilichim  ?  The  money  is  contributed  chiefly  with  the 
idea  of  supporting  perpetually  a  pious  and  learned  popu- 
lation in  the  Holy  cities,  and  the  donors  believe  that,  inas- 
much as  aU  these  are  poor,  the  proceeds  are  divided 
impartially  among  all ;  that  the  numbers  being  counted, 
the  distribution  is  made  accordingly  to  every  head  of  a 
family.  But  as  has  been  shown  above,  interest  on  loans 
has  first  to  be  paid  to  the  pubUc  creditors  (not  Jews). 
Then  come  next  the  official  administrators  for  the  large 
share  allotted  to  them.  These  dues  are  known  by  the 
name  of  Kadeemah.  Next  come  those  persons  who,  for 
some  reason  or  other  previously  existing,  have  a  right  of 
priority  as  to  a  settled  pension  or  annuity  (these  last  have 
mostly  deposited  monies  in  the  fiind  and  draw  the 
interest).  After  all  these  deductions  the  residue  forms 
the  fund  for  division,  which  is  then  under  its  Hebrew 
name  of  ChalUka  (apportioning)  distributed  among  heads 
of  houses,  including  those  who  have  already  received  a 
share  under  the  preceding  classes. 

And  so  it  comes  to  pass  that  there  are  some  rich 
men  who  receive  their  ChaWka^  unshamed  by  others  and 
unblushing  for  themselves.  At  the  period  to  which  the 
history  refers  there  were  but  very  few  rich  men  among 
the  thousands  of  Jerusalem  Jews :  but  it  was  felt  by  en- 
lightened Jews  from  Europe  to  be  a  scandal  that  men  of 
comparative  wealth,  and  even  one  or  two  successful  traders, 
should  be  receiving  any  share  of  the  alms  needed  for  the 
reUef  of  the  poor,  at  a  time  when  there  was  so  great  an 
amount  of  distress  that  both  Jews  and  Christians  were 


ABUSES  OF  THE  SYSTEM.  125 

seeking  aid  from  Europe  for  the  succour  of  the  starving 
multitude. 

This  method  of  procuring  ahns  for  the  support  of  the 
Jews  in  Jerusalem  is  liable  to  abuses,  and  some  of  these 
have  been  partly  exposed  in  such  books  as  Dr.  Frankel's 
^  Nach  Jerusalem,'  and  the  London  '  Jewish  Chronicle  ; ' 
but  not  to  the  extent  of  dealing  with  all  the  evils  that 
have  come  under  my  observation.  Sometimes  the  Shi- 
liach  Licence  was  sold  by  the  bearer  to  another  man  for 
profit,  without  the  former  having  left  Jerusalem  at  all. 
Sometimes  the  Colel  {i.e.  the  Corporation  for  management 
of  the  common  fund)  granted  licences,  with  attestations 
that  the  bearer  was  well  known  for  learning  and  sanctity 
of  life,  to  persons  of  immoral  character.  Occasionally, 
members  of  the  Colel  (which  is  always  a  close  corpora- 
tion of  a  few  Eabbis,  sometimes  related  by  marriage) 
themselves  become  Shilichim,  bearing  attestations  of  piety, 
etc.,  etc.  Sometimes  the  messengers,  on  their  return  from 
abroad,  rendered  but  smaU  proceeds  of  money,  refusing 
to  give  any  account  to  the  congregation,  on  the  ground 
that  their  sacred  office  of  Eabbi  placed  them  above  sus- 
picion.^ 

It  is  grievous  to  go  back  in  memory,  and  to  review 
transactions  such  as  these ;  but  th^  very  foundation  on 
which  the  system  rests  is  pernicious,  and  other  and  better 
measures  for  obtaining  revenue  should  be  substituted. 

The  system  of  collecting  alms  for  the  Holy  Land  is  very 
ancient — we  read  of  it  in  Eoman  history,  and  I  am  told 
it  is  referred  to  in  the  Talmud.    Nay,  even  the  primitive 

^  An  instance  of  this  nature  concerning  Hebron  connected  with  fraud, 
cruel  and  extensive;  came  before  the  Consulate  in  1862. 


126  THE  CUSTOM  ANCIENT.     OTHEB  MODES. 

Christians,  in  times  of  temporary  pressure,  sent  contri- 
butions to  the  poor  saints  which  were  in  Jerusalem,  and 
St.  Paul  himself  was  once  a  bearer  of  such  benevolence. 
The  custom  is  derived  from  good  instincts  of  religious 
conscience ;  but  the  practical  benefit  of  it,  even  where  pro- 
perly applied,  must  depend  upon  righteous  administration 
to  those  in  need. 

The  present  system  involves,  as  has  been  explained, 
the  doubtful  advantage  of  the  employment  of  the  '  She- 
lichim '  (messengers).  Of  late  this  agency  is  prohibited 
in  Kussia,  and  a  Shiliach  practising  there  becomes  amen- 
able by  law  to  imprisonment  or  other  penalties — the 
object  of  the  law  being  to  retain  the  property  of  the 
Empire  within  its  own  bounds — ^and  other  nations  have 
formerly  objected  to  wealth  being  drained  away  from 
themselves  for  the  benefit  of  foreigners,  who  produce 
nothing  in  return,  not  even  in  the  way  of  trade. 

For  my  own  part,  without  attempting  to  check  the 
stream  of  charity,  I  took  every  opportunity  that  was 
convenient  of  recommending  that  contributions  for  the 
Holy  Land  should  be  transmitted  by  means  of  the  usual 
professional  bankers.  This,  if  generally  done,  would 
obviate  any  waste  of  the  funds  between  giver  and  re- 
ceiver, as  well  as  dishonesty. 

Of  late  years  the  Austrian  synagogues  send  their 
remittances,  together  with  a  pubUc  notification  of  the 
amount,  to  their  Consulate  in  Jerusalem.  The  Consul 
receives  a  commission  on  the  same  for  his  trouble ;  but 
even  this  method  of  transmission  has  disadvantages. 

Besides  the  Jewish  British  subjects  and  protigis 
already  described,  there  were  some  of  both  these  classes 


JEWISH  TiMiDrry.  127 

in  Hebron  and  in  the  other  Holy  cities ;  there  were  also 
in  Hebron  a  few  Tuscans  and  Dutch  subjects,  who  had 
by  permission  of  their  own  Consular  authorities  in  Beyroot 
placed  themselves  under  British  protection. 

Thus  the  British  Consulate  was  always  kept  busy  in 
transacting  the  business  brought  before  it  by  the  Jews ; 
not  only  by  the  Jews  in  Jerusalem,  but  by  those  from 
Safed,  Tiberias,  Caifa,  Nabloos,  and  Hebron. 

It  was  distressing  to  behold  the  timidity  which  long 
ages  of  oppression  had  engendered.  Many  times  a  poor 
Jew  would  come  for  redress  against  a  native,  and  when 
he  had  substantiated  his  case,  and  it  had  been  brought 
by  the  Consulate  before  the  Turkish  authorities,  he  would, 
in  mere  terror  of  futiure  possible  vengeance,  withdraw 
from  the  prosecution,  and  even  deny  that  any  harm  had 
been  done  him  ;  or  if  that  was  too  manifest,  declare  that 
he  could  not  identify  the  criminal,  or  that  the  witnesses 
could  not  be  produced.  Still,  even  then,  the  bare  fact 
that  some  notice  had  been  taken  had  a  deterrent  effect 
upon  criminals  who  had  hitherto  regarded  the  defenceless 
Jews  as  their  special  prey. 

It  was  no  small  satisfaction  to  me  that  not  only  Hebrew, 
but  the  extraordinary  medley  of  languages  called  Judisch^ 
both  oral. and  written,  was  intelligible  to  my  own  family 
without  an  interpreter.  This  was  a  great  boon  to  the 
people ;  for,  with  their  characteristic  timidity,  they  are 
unwilling  to  trust  their  affairs  to  the  intervention  of  a 
dragoman.  This  was  an  advantage  to  be  found  in  no 
other  Consulate. 

With  regard  to  pure  Hebrew,  the  learned  world  in 
Europe  is  greatly"  mistaken  in  designating  this  a  dead 


128  HEBREW  A  LlVma  LANGUAGE. 

language.  In  Jerusalem  it  is  a  living  tongue  of  every- 
day utility — ^necessarily  so,  for  in  what  else  could  Jewish 
strangers  from  the  opposite  ends  of  the  earth  converse 
together?  In  our  Consular  office  Hebrew  was  often 
heard  spoken — on  one  occasion  by  a  Jew  from  Cabool, 
who  had  to  enter  into  explanations  with  one  from 
California :  of  course  in  Hebrew.  That  language  was  a 
medium  of  transacting  business  in  the  English  Consulate.^ 

^  The  author  does  not  mention  his  own  proficiency  in  the  Holj  Tongue. 
It  was  well  known  to  the  Jews  of  Palestine  that  he  could  understand  any 
communications  addressed  to  him  in  that  language,  and  they  thankfiiUy 
availed  themselves  of  this  circumstance.  Br.  L.  Frankel  of  Vienna,  when 
describing  his  visit  to  Jerusalem,  says  of  Mr.  Finn,  that  an  incident,  while 
he  was  staying  with  a  Mend,  led  ^  to  his  acquaintance  with  this  in  many 
respects  interesting  man.  He  speaks  and  writes  Hebrew  admirably.' 
(Fr&nkel's  '  Nach  Jerusalem,'  Leipzig,  1858.) 

'The  Orphan  Colony  of  Jews  in  China'  contains  copies  of  Hebrew 
questions  drawn  up  in  Hebrew  by  Mr.  Finn  himself,  in  1844 — for  transmission 
to  the  Jews  in  China — ^and  they  sufficiently  show  his  masteiy  of  the  language 
long  before  he  went  to  live  in  Jerusalem.  (*  Orphan  Colony  of  Jews  in 
China,' p.  16, 121, 124,  Nisbet^s.)  During  his  residence  as  Consul  in  the  Holy 
City  he  devoted  much  of  the  time  which  early  rising  and  unremitting  dili- 
gence enabled  him  to  secure  to  careful  study  of  Hebrew  and  Hebrew 
literature. 

The  Sunday  services  in  Christ  Church  have  been  mentioned  ;  my  husband 
attended  them  regularly,  and  he  also,  when  in  town,  usually  attended  the 
daily  Hebrew  service  at  seven  in  the  morning.  To  him  Hebrew  was  a 
living  language — spoken,  written,  and  read,  as  one  of  the  tongues  necessary 
for  transaction  of  his  Consular  business. 

Letters  and  documents  of  all  kinds  were  constantly  addressed  to  the 
British  Consul  not  only  in  classical  Hebrew,  written  in  the  square  characters^ 
but  in  the  Judeo-Polish  and  Sephardi  dialects,  and  in  the  respective  cursive 
characters  of  each ;  for  all  the  Jews  knew  that  he  had  taken  pains  to  learn 
to  read  and  write  them,  and  that  he  was  in  the  habit  of  himself  reading  all 
documents  and  correspondence.  This  he  did  with  Arabic  and  Turkish  papers 
as  weU  as  others.  They  might  be,  and  usually  were,  read  and  translated  by 
the  official  dragoman  at  first ;  but  after  office  hours,  if  not  before,  they  wei« 
carefully  gone  through  and  examined  by  the  Consul  himself;  for  he  was  ever 
alive  to  the  duty  of  taking  all  the  responsibility  on  himself  of  everything 
which  he  entrusted  to  his  subordinates,  and  also  to  the  necessity  of  allowing 
no  one,  however  trustworthy,  to  come  between  himself  and  those  whose 


THE  JEWS  OF  HEBRON  AND  SAFED.  129 

The  Hebron  Jews  were  more  exposed  than  even 
those  in  Jerusalem  to  rough  usage  from  the  natives,  and 
they  had  suffered  greatly  from  the  tyrannies  of  the  brutal 
'Abderrahhmfi.n  el  'Amer. 

Those  living  in  Safed,  in  Galilee,  however,  were  of  a 
different  stamp,  and  much  better  able  to  hold  their  own. 
There  was,  on  one  occasion,  an  affair  in  that  town  of 
some  rioters  breaking  for  plunder  into  the  houses  of  some 
Jews  who  were  British  prot^g^,  and  we  had  caused  five 
of  the  offenders  to  be  imprisoned.     They  were  soon,  how- 
ever, allowed  by  the  Governor  to  be  at  liberty  again,  and 
my  prot^g^s  went  down  at  once  to  demand  justice  from 
the  Pashk  in  Acre,  at  the  same  time  writing  to  acquaint 
me  with  the  circumstances.     This  was  not  the  only  occa- 
sion in  which  I  had  to  observe  the  manly  spirit  of  the 
Jews  in  that  mountain  town,  compared  with  all  others  of 
their  nation  throughout  Palestine.     Yet,  whenever  their 
independence  was  shown  in  an  unjust  cause,  as  sometimes 
happened,  their  behaviour  had  to  be  treated  accordingly. 
The  Galileans  of  Josephus's  wars  were  a  hardy  and  a 
stubborn  people. 

Finally,  I  feel  compelled  to  say  that,  notwithstanding 
their  many  errors  and  failings,  evident  enough  to  those 
who  have  most  intercourse  with  the  Jews  in  Palestine, 
those  faults  are  mostly  limited  to  the  sphere  of  their  own 

interests  it  was  \ns  duty  to  guard.  All  this  entailed  immense  labour,  but 
without  it  the  efficiency  of  the  Consulate  could  not  have  been  maintained. 
Many  an  important  bit  of  information  reached  the  British  Consul  wliich 
would  never  have  been  transmitted  througli  a  third  person,  because  he  was 
able  to  receive  it  direct  from  people  speaking  other  languages  than  English, 
—Ed. 

VOL.  I,  K 


130    GOOD  MORAL  CHARACTER  OF  THE  JEWS. 

affairs.  They  aim  at  little  beyond  that  boundary,  are 
timid  mider  oppression,  and  the  outward  conduct  remains 
conformable  to  that  state  of  mind  long  after  the  actual 
necessity  exists. 

After  that  stage  again  being  passed,  the  native  high 
pride  sometimes  carries  them  into  extremes  on  the  other 
side.  I  have  known  Jews  who  were  insolent  and  un- 
gratefiil,  just  as  I  have  found  some  other  people  to 
be ;  but  I  have  experienced  many  acts  of  kindness  from 
Jews  in  the  Holy  Land.  Among  other  affecting  tokens  of 
gratitude,  individuals  have  on  several  occasions  resorted 
to  the  '  Western  Wall '  of  the  Temple  to  pray  for  my 
children,  and  also  for  myself,  in  times  of  sorrow  and 
sickness. 

I  have  never  had  reason  tq  modify  an  old  remark  of 
mine,  that,  from  the  effect  of  their  domestic  morality  and 
family  affections,  these  were  the  people  in  Jerusalem  who 
could  best  afford  to  look  an  Englishman  straight  in  the 
face. 

Such  are  my  remarks  concerning  the  Jews  of  Pales- 
tine at  the  time  of  the  Kussian  War  being  declared, 
together  with  their  relations  to  the  Turkish  authorities 
and  to  the  European  Consulates. 

Translated  Eoctract  from  an  Addhreas  of  Russiam,  Jews  in 
Safed  on  thei/r  commg  under  English  protectionj  1849. 

(After  compUments  to  the  Consul  in  Jerusalem) 

We  acknowledge  to  the  Lord  and  praise  Him  that  He  has 
put  it  into  the  heart  of  the  Glory  of  the  Pity  of  the  mighty 
Crowned  Queen,  the  pious,  the  precious,  the  upright,  who  reigns 
over  the  provinces  of  England  and  its  dependencies,  to  do  good 


HEBKEW  ADDRESS  TO  THE  QUEEN.      131 

to  the  people  of  Israel  and  to  succour  them  with  every  kind  of 
aid,  for  great  and  small,  and  to  defend  them  from  those  who  rise 
up  against  them 

With  a  perfect  heart 

Of  mercy  and  loving  kindhess ; 

And  with  the  tips  of  the  wings  of  Mercy 

And  the  grace  of  her  Righteousness 

She  has  extended  and  caused  to  shine  upon  us, 

Who  dwell  in  our  own  land. 

The  holy  (be  it  established  in  our  days). 

Us,  who  are  burdened  with  troubles — 

Sinking  into  distress, 

Poverty  and  calamity. 

But  loving  the  land  of  our  Fathers, 

The  place  of  our  honour. 

We  here  are  those 

Who  are  the  sons  of  the  provinces  of  Russia, 

And  this  is  the  day  we  have  looked  for : 

We  have  found  it,  we  have  seen  it — 

For  she  has  bent  down  her  pity  to  receive  us 

Under  the  shade  of  her  wings  of  compassion. 

And  to  comfort  us  with  shade  of  her  mighty  rule, 

For  a  name,  for  a  praise,  and  for  glory  I 

Yea,  our  souls  within  us  are  bound 

To  implore  Him,  who  is  fearful  in  mighty  acts. 

With  praises  and  prayers. 

That  He  may  prolong  her  days 

In  rest  and  satisfaction  ; 

That  the  Lord  may  hedge  her  in. 

And  all  that  are  hers  : 

The  princes  around  her. 

With  her  nobles. 

And  all  those  comforted  in  her  shadow. 

May  they  rise  on  wings  of  elevation,  of  prosperity. 

In  fulness  of  joy ; 

And  may  her  kingdom  be  established 

lake  the  Moon,  for  ever  and  ever, 


132      HEBREW  ADDRESS  TO  THE  QUEEN. 

Until  the  coming  of  Messiah ! 
Mav  the  Lord  bless  their  lives  and  their  substance. 
And  increase  their  honour, 
And  crown  their  praise  I 
Amen,  so  be  Thy  will  I 


133 


CHAPTER  VL 

PROTESTANTS   IN  PALESTINE. 

The  Protestants  in  Jerusalem — Natives — Arabs  —  Europeans  —  Hebrew- 
Ohristians — English — Germans — American  Missionaries — Jewish  Misidon 
resolve  on  building  a  Ohurch — ^British  authorities  co-operate — Egyptian 
Government  favourable — Ottoman  Government  refuses — ^English  Bishop- 
ric established  in  1841 — Action  of  the  King  of  Prussia — Consecration  of 
Bishop  Alexander — ^Firm4n  authorising  the  building  of  the  Ohurch  as 
Consular  Chapel,  granted  in  1841 — Consecration  of  church,  1849 — Eng- 
lish Mission — Origin  of  Native  Protestantism — Early  Missionaries,  Eng- 
lish and  American — Second  English  Bishop — ^Firm&n  of  toleration  for 
Protestants,  1850 — ^Nazareth  disturbances,  1862  —  Translation  of  the 
Sultan's  Firmans — and  of  the  Yizierial  letter. 

At  the  period  of  which  we  are  treating  there  were  in 
Jerusalem,  and  elsewhere  in  Palestine,  not  only  Christian 
communities  of  the  Oriental  Churches  and  of  the  Western, 
or  Latin,  but  also  a  considerable  number  of  Protestants, 
both  native  and  European.  The  natives  were  Arabs  who 
had  left  the  Greek,  Armenian,  or  Latin  Churches ;  the 
Europeans  included  Hebrew  Christians  and  English 
members  of  the  Church  of  England.  The  Germans 
formed  a  separate  congregation.  There  were,  moreover, 
a  few  Americans  by  themselves.  It  may  be  interesting  if 
we  give  an  account  of  the  rise  of  Protestantism  there  in 
general. 

The  capitulations  made  in  olden  time  between  the 
European  powers  and  the  Ottoman  Porte  do  not  allude  to 
forms  of  religious  belief  or  worship,  but  are  confined  to 
articles  concerning  secular  business,  chiefly  commercial.. 


134  PROTESTANTS.     THE  ENGLISH  CHURCH. 

The  Turks  were  familiar  with  the  idea  of  Christianity  as  a 
whole,  but  the  word  Protestant  is  of  new  importation 
among  them. 

During  the  Egyptian  rule  in  Syria,  Protestantism 
was  represented  in  Jerusalem  by  American  Presbyterian 
missionaries  and  by  an  agent — sometimes  two — of  the 
English  Episcopal  Mission  to  the  Jews,  each  party  cele- 
brating Divine  worship  in  its  own  house,  or  occasionally 
together  when  they  met  for  the  purpose. 

Soon,  however,  the  Jewish  mission  resolved  on  erect- 
ing a  church  for  itself  in  Jerusalem,  and  its  managers 
in  London  petitioned  our  Government  for  official  aid  in 
carrying  out  tliat  object,  there  being  at  the  time  a  likeli- 
hood of  succeeding  with  the  new  and  liberal  Egyptian 
Government  in  Syria. 

This  was  contemporaneous  with  the  institution  of  the 
English  (which  was  the  earliest)  Consulate  in  Jerusalem. 
The  Consul,  on  his  arrival,  and  the  Consul-General  in 
Egypt,  recommended  the  design.  Lord  Palmerston  also, 
in  the  Foreign  Office,  directed  the  latter  to  make  applica- 
tion to  Mohammed  'Ali  in  its  favour ;  but  that  ruler, 
while  expressing  his  personal  willingness  to  grant  it^ 
explained  that,  as  it  was  a  matter  bearing  upon  funda- 
mental laws  of  the  Ottoman  Empire,  he  could  only  advise 
that  an  appeal  be  made  to  the  supreme  government  of 
the  Sultan.  He  had  previously,  however,  allowed  the 
site  of  ground  to  be  purchased,  and  held  in  the  name  of 
the  missionary  Nicolayson,  and  the  preparations  to  be 
begun. 

The  Ambassador,  Lord  Ponsonby,  accordingly  applied 
to  the  Porte,  but  there  the  concession  was  refused  on  the 


DIFFICULTIES  IN  BUILDING  A  GHUBOH.  135 

ground  that  Mohammedan  law  (as  it  was  vaguely  ex- 
pressed, but  meaning  the  capitulation  granted  to  the 
Christians  of  Jerusalem  by  the  Caliph  'Omar  on  his  con- 
quest of  the  country),  forbids  the  erection  of  new  Christian 
churches.  It  is  true  that  by  the  terms  of  that  document 
— the  first  ever  made  of  that  nature  between  the  parties, 
and  which  formed  the  model  for  all  such  treaties  else- 
where—  one  of  the  articles  expressly  precludes  the 
building  of  new  churches  and  the  use  of  church-bells 
by  the  Christians,  but  the  latter  item  had  never  been 
obeyed  in  the  Lebanon,  and  several  new  churches  had 
been  connived  at  in  various  parts  of  the  empire,  and 
notably  in  Alexandria,  where  Mohammed  'Ali  had  not 
only  permitted  an  English  church  to  be  built,  but  had 
himself  made  a  donation  of  the  ground  for  its  site. 

There  can  be  no  doubt  of  the  employment  of  intrigue 
and  money  among  the  Turkish  Div&n  on  the  part  of  the 
Latin  and  Greek  communities  for  impeding  the  introduc- 
tion of  Protestantism,  and  thus  for  a  time  the  business 
was  postponed,  or,  as  it  was  hoped,  extinguished  ;  but  the 
refusal  was  felt  in  England  to  be  peculiarly  imgracious, 
as  the  Porte  had  just  at  that  very  time  (1839)  every- 
thing to  hope  from  us  for  the  regaining  possession  of 
Syria,  which,  indeed,  they  did  receive  from  us  the  next 
year,  and  which  the  French  (i.e.  Latin  interests)  were 
eager  to  prevent  their  obtaining.  Moreover,  it  is  only 
fair  to  keep  in  mind  that  neither  Turks,  on  one  side,  nor 
Protestants,  or  English,  on  the  other,  had  been  parties  to 
the  Jerusalem  capitulations  with  'Omar. 

In  1841  a  remarkable  step  forwards  was  mads  by 


136  THE  ANGLICAN  BISHOPRIC. 

the  establishment  of  an  English  bishopric^  in  the  Holy 
City,  with  jurisdiction  over  clergy  in  large  geographical 
regions  around.  The  TTing  of  Prussia,  desirous  of  having 
Protestantism,  as  such,  represented  there,  yielded  pre- 
cedence to  England,  for  the  reason  that  she  had  already 
her  missionary  institutions  on  the  spot,  and  gave  most 
generously  from  his  private  purse  (not  from  national 
funds)  one-half  of  the  perpetual  endowment  of  that 
EngUsh  bishopric,  reserving  only  an  alternate  nomination 
to  the  office,  yet  leaving  every  presentation  on  either  side 
subject  to  the  veto  of  the  Archbishop  of  Canterbury. 
The  king  sent  a  special  Envoy  (Chevalier  Bimsen)  to 
negotiate  the  matter  in  London,  and  the  scheme  was 
favourably  received  there,  as  the  time  seemed  to  have 
arrived  for  an  exercise,  by  ecclesiastical  rulers,  of  some 
control  over  episcopaUy  ordained  missionaries  in  those 
Eastern  lands.  It  was  desirable  likewise  to  provide  for 
the  ordination  of  fresh  agents  as  emergencies  might  arise, 
and  for  use  of  the  rite  of  confirmation  among  English 
families  growing  up  in  the  Levant.  It  was  believed  to 
be  desirable,  moreover,  to  exhibit  to  the  Orientals  our 
reformed  doctrine  in  connection  with  episcopal  tradition 
and  liturgical  worship. 

The  movement  was  clearly  one  made  in  the  spirit  of 
Protestantism,  since  it  originated  with  the  Prussian  king ; 
and  the  Queen  of  England,  who  gave  the  licence,  as  well 
as  the  English  episcopacy,  through  which  the  spiritual 
part  of  the  transaction  was  effected,  are  both  necessarily 
Protestant.    The  project  would  not  have  originated  with 

^  The  King  of  Prussia  gave  half  the  endowment  for  a  bond  fde  English 
bishopric — not  as  some  haye  erroneously  supposed  for  a  bishopric  partly 
German  in  some  way. 


THE  EEV.  DH.  M^CAUL.     BtSHOP  ALEXANDER.     137 

the  party  calling  itself  Anglo-Catholic,  which  indeed 
offered  to  it  the  most  strenuous  opposition.  It  seems 
reasonable  that  the  Church  of  England  should  be  repre- 
sented by  her  bishop  in  the  Holy  City,  where,  as  on 
common  ground,  all  the  Eastern  Churches  have  their 
representatives — Latins,  Greeks,  Armenians,  Syrians,  and 
Copts,  all  have  their  bishops  in  Jerusalem. 

When  the  English  Church  had  thus  become  settled  in 
Jerusalem,  the  American  missionaries,  pious  and  able 
men,  withdrew  themselves  to  strengthen  their  other 
operations  around  the  Lebanon,  where  they  have  ever 
since  met  with  remarkable  success,  leaving  the  field  of 
Palestine  to  the  episcopal  Protestants.  The  primary 
object  in  view  being  to  uphold  and  extend  the  existing 
episcopal  English  mission  to  the  Jews,  a  clergyman  was 
selected  by  the  King  of  Prussia  who  had  devoted  his  life 
to  the  Jewish  subject.  This  was  the  Eeverend  Dr. 
M^'Caul,  who,  however,  declined  the  ^honour  in  favour  of 
a  Christian  Israelite,  whose  Hebrew  nationality  gave,  he 
believed,  a  greater  claim  to  hold  the  office  of  a  bishop 
in  the  Land  of  Israel.  Bishop  Alexander  was,  therefore, 
consecrated  for  that  diocese,  November  7,  1841,  and 
carried  with  him  to  Jerusalem,  from  the  Archbishop  of 
Canterbury,  letters  commendatory  to  the  'orthodox' 
ecclesiastical  authorities,  announcing  that  he  was  sent  '  to 
exercise  spiritual  superintendence  over  the  clergy  and 
laity  of  our  Church  who  sojourn  there,  and  in  a^acent 
countries :  but  that  no  one  may  be  ignorant  why  we  have 
sent  this  bishop,  our  brother,  we  make  known  to  you  that 
we  have  charged  him  in  no  wise  and  in  no  matter  to 
iavade  the  jurisdiction  of  you  the  bishops,  or  others, 


l38  OPPOSITION  TO  THE  BISHOPRIC. 

bearing  rule  in  the  churches  of  the  East.'  To  these  in- 
structions Dr.  Alexander  loyally  adhered  during  his  short 
career.  He  was  not  '  Bishop  of  Jerusalem/  but  English 
bishop  in  Jerusalem. 

The  episcopate  was  thus  founded  on  principles  diame- 
trically opposed  to  those  of  the  Latin  patriarchate  soon 
after,  which  are  those  of  aggression,  or  rather  on  the 
assumption  that  that  office  is  of  right  the  true  patriarchate 
of  Jerusalem,  and  its  holder  a  deputy  of  the  successor  of 
St.  Peter,  the  only  vicar  of  Christ.  The  chief  missionary 
care  of  the  English  bishop  was  to  be  directed  to  the  con- 
version of  the  Jews,  to  their  protection,  and  to  their 
useful  employment. 

It  was  curious  to  note  the  different  opinions  of  the 
period  concerning  this  new  bishopric — ^the  rabid  invec- 
tives of  certain  parties  in  Europe,  not  only  of  some  in 
England,  who  imprecated  Heaven  that  the  scheme  might 
be  confounded  and  come  to  nought;  but  likewise  of 
those  in  Prussia  who,  on  their  Evangelical  or  Lutheran 
principles,  and  those  in  France  who,  on  their  Calvinistic 
principles,  expressed  their  hostility  to  episcopacy  in 
general,  and  to  this  episcopate  in  particular.  It  is  also 
amusing  to  look  back  to  the  silly  exaggerations  of  Koman 
Catholic  journals,  some  of  which  were  even  repeated  from 
these  in  the  House  of  Commons  in  1843.^ 

The  Oriental  convents  of  coiurse  took  alarm  at  this 
novelty.    When  some  two  years  afterwards  Bishop  Alex- 

^  If  it  be  true  that  Austria  lodged  a  formal  protest  at  the  Porte  against 
the  erection  of  a  Protestant  bishopric  in  Jerusalem^  this  would  show  that 
the  bombardmetit  of  Acre  was  not  an  enterprise  taken  bj  the  two  Protestant 
Powers  in  preparation  for  that  bishopric,  as  some  have  said,  seeing  that 
the  Austrians  joined  in  the  actual  bombardment,  and  the  PruSfdans  did  not. 


SPHERE  OF  ACTION.     BISHOP  GOBAT.  139 

ander  with  his  family  pitched  tents  at  a  village  called 
Jifna,  exclusively  Greek-Christian,  for  recovery  of  health 
in  country  air  after  a  sickness  contracted  in  the  city,  and 
his  medical  attendant,  the  doctor  of  the  Jewish  mission, 
wished  to  employ  one  of  the  peasants  in  wine-making, 
the  Greek  authorities  were  thrown  into  a  state  of  sheer 
terror,  lest  now  wholesale  decoying  of  their  flocks  should 
be  commenced.  The  Pashk  was  bribed  to  put  a  stop  to 
such  heretical  proceedings,  and  no  Protestants  pitched 
their  tents  there  for  many  a  long  year  after. 

Notwithstanding  the  very  proper  injunction  laid  upon 
the  Enghsh  bishop,  to  abstain  from  invading  the  jurisdic- 
tion of  the  Greek  ecclesiastics,  a  wide  scope  of  activity 
lay  open  for  direct  missionary  work  under  his  direction 
among  Jews,  Mohammedans,  Druzes,  Falashas  of  Abys- 
sinia, Chaldeans,  and  the  more  than  semi-idolaters  in 
Northern  Syria  and  the  dwellers  in  Mesopotamia  and  in 
Egypt.  It  might  even  be  contended,  on  the  principles 
of  the  Constantinopolitan  canons  of  a.d.  381,  that  his 
missionaries  are  not  precluded  from  action  amongst 
Eoman  CathoUcs  in  the  East,  or  the  Monophysite 
churches,  as  occasion  and  prudence  may  require,  seeing 
that  these  are  already  in  a  state  either  of  schism  or  of 
separation  from  the  Orthodox  Patriarchate. 

Bishop  Alexander  was  succeeded  in  1846  by  Dr. 
Gobat,  a  Swiss — not  of  Je^vish  origin. 

The  bishopric  being  thus  instituted  and  occupied,  the 
intention  of  building  the  material  church  was  resumed. 
After  about  three  years  of  suspense,  the  Jews'  Society 
in  1842  tested  the  actual  position  of  affairs  by  commenc- 
ing the  work  without  asking  aid  of  either  Consulate  or 


140     firmAn  for  building  consular  chapel. 

Embassy.  The  Fashk  at  once  put  a  stop  to  the  proceed- 
ing, and  for  three  years  more  no  process  was  made, 
except  that  in  a  spirit  of  faith  in  the  future  the  quarrying 
of  stone  was  carried  on  in  the  villages  of  Bethlehem  and 
Anathoth ;  the  squaring  also  of  these  stones  when  brought 
in  was  continued  upon  the  ground  itself.  These  as 
materials  were  laid  up  in  piles  awaiting  '  the  good  time 
coming.' 

At  length,  in  September,  1845,  a  Firm&n  was  granted 
on  CSonstantinople  for  building  the  church,  in  considera- 
tion that  '  the  English  and  the  Prussian  Protestants  were 
without  a  place  of  worship.'  The  church  was,  however, 
to  be  built  upon  the  premises  of  the  British  Consulate, 
i.e.  as  a  consular  chapel.  A  Vizierial  letter  in  due  form 
accompanied  the  Firmsln ;  but  'AJi  Pashk  of  Jerusalem,  at 
whose  suggestion  it  does  not  appear,  discovered  that  the 
Firm&n  could  not  be  acted  upon  : — 

1st.  Because  the  building,  the  foundation  of  which 
was  already  laid,  was  not  upon  premises  of  the  Consulate, 
but  in  a  separate  part  of  the  town :  in  fact,  the  latter  was 
then  a  small  hired  house,  and  had  no  spare  ground  on 
which  to  erect  a  church. 

2nd.  Because  the  Turkish  word  Inshay  used  in  the 
documents,  does  not  signify  proceeding  with  a  bvildingy 
but  the  making  of  a  totally  new  edifice,  which  again 
would  be  contrary  to  the  capitulations  of  'Omar. 

These  objections,  however,  were  removed  in  Decem- 
ber by  a  fresh  Vizierial  letter,  duly  forwarded  by  the 
Musheer  of  Beyroot,  who  commanded  the  Pashk  to  offer 
no  further  hindrance.  The  society  also  gave  orders  to 
go  on  with  a  house  for  the  Consulate  alongside  of  the 


CONSECRATION  OF  CHRIST  CHURCH.  141 

church,  as  had  been  before  intended.  The  church,  how- 
ever, was  completed  first,  and  previous  to  its  being 
finished.  Divine  Service  was  conducted  in  a  room  within 
the  enclosure  of  the  mission  premises,  as  was  also  the 
consular  business  in  another  room  alongside. 

Christ  Church,  the  church  erected  under  the  circum- 
stances thus  described,  was  consecrated  for  public  wor- 
ship in  January,  1849,  as  a  Hebrew  Christian  Church, 
held  in  trust  by  the  London  Jews'  Society.  The  IsraeKtes 
who  have  become  believers  in  Christianity  form  the  con- 
gregation, together  with  the  missionaries  and  their  fami- 
lies, the  Consul,  and  any  other  English  who  may  happen 
to  be  in  Jerusalem.  The  incumbent  must  always  be  a 
clei^man  of  the  Church  of  England,  who  is  at  the  same 
time  chief  missionary  to  the  Jews.  A  German  congrega- 
tion has  been  gradually  formed  under  the  auspices  of  the 
Bishop  and  the  Prussian  Consulate.  This  congregation 
is  permitted  to  hold  its  Protestant  services  in  the  same 
church.  The  original  arrangement  for  this  became  in 
course  of  time  altered,  so  as  to  admit  of  services  being 
held  by  other  European  Protestants,  Dutch,  Swedish,  &c., 
to  whom  the  church  has  been  occasionally  lent. 

Various  Prussian  institutions  of  Hospital,  Hospice, 
Deaconesses,  &c.,  have  been  estabhshed,  and  have  become 
of  considerable  importance  in  Jerusalem. 

The  society  of  Europeans  in  the  Holy  City  consisted 
of  the  Consular  famihes,  the  religious  missionaries  (Roman 
Catholic  or  Protestant),  medical  men  of  various  nations, 
and  a  few  shopkeepers.  We  had  also  a  very  few  English 
who  lived  on  their  own  means. 

Of  course  there  was  no  commercial  activity  in  the  place. 


142  PECULIARITY  OF  LIFE  IN  JERUSALEM. 

excepting  merely  for  the  supply  of  the  wants  of  the  inha- 
bitants, and  although  immense  sums  are  poured  into  Jeru- 
salem annually  from  abroad,  the  city  gave  out  nothing. 
European  goods  were  received,  but  no  exports  were  made 
in  return,  except  soap  to  the  Levantine  ports.  This  ab- 
sence of  animation  derivable  from  trade  or  manufacture  was 
in  keeping  with  the  solemn  historical  and  religious  office 
which  Jerusalem  has  had,  and  still  has,  to  fulfil  in  this 
world's  concerns.  To  persons  imbued  with  the  gay  habits 
of  other  places,  no  doubt  the  time  and  pursuits  there 
must  appear  monastically  duU.  Not  only  have  French 
visitors  been  known  to  utter  the  ejaculation  which  ever 
accompanies  the  shrug  of  the  shoulders,  at  the  contrast 
between  Jerusalem  and  Paris,  or  even  Constantinople, 
but  some  English  people,  though  not  many,  have  joined 
in  bewailing  the  dulness  of  Jerusalem.  Yet  pleasures 
that  would  be  tolerable  elsewhere  could  not  but  be  out 
of  place  in  Jerusalem.  The  balls,  the  theatrical  amuse- 
ments and  fashionable  dressing,  to  be  found  even  in  Bey- 
root,  were  unsuited  to  the  majestic  realities  of  religion, 
and  to  the  feehngs  inspired  by  Jerusalem.  The  religio 
loci  of  Virgil  is  a  phrase  unequal  to  the  associations  of 
Jerusalem  history — to  the  awe  with  which  they  must  ever 
be  remembered,  to  the  sublime  blessings  there  bestowed 

■ 

on  the  world. 

But  the  strongest  expression  of  melancholy  and 
pining  for  European  diversions  was  uttered  by  an  Italian 
gentleman  who  had  long  resided  amongst  us.  'Ah!' 
said  he,  *  the  sadness  of  Jerusalem  !  It  is  over  this  city 
gate  that  ought  to  be  inscribed  the  well-known  lines  of 
Dante — 


VARIOUS  OPINIONS  AND  FEELINGS.  143 

'  Per  me  a  yk  nella  oittA  dolente, 
Per  me  si  y&  nell'  etemo  dolore/ 

"  not  omitting  the  other  line  of  the  same  stanza — 

'  Lasciate  ogni  speranza  voi  che  entrate.' 

It  is  true  that  the  speaker  was  one  who  had  but  small 
occupation  for  his  time — was  in  ill  health  and  immarried, 
circumstances  which  might  account  for  much  of  his  de- 
spondency. The  mere  routine  of  existence,  or  of  attend- 
ance on  ecclesiastical  functions,  might  suffice  for  inmates 
of  the  cloisters  of  St.  Salvatore,  but  not  for  a  man  of  a 
liberal  profession  as  he  was,  who  had  seen  the  world. 

Yet  there  were  others  in  the  Holy  City  whose  family 
circles  supplied  a  fiill  share  of  domestic  satisfaction ;  and 
there  were  also  men  whose  days  were  occupied  in  respon- 
sible duties,  and  who  possessed  tastes  for  historical  in- 
vestigation. These  were  contented  people,  whose  trials, 
incident  to  human  life,  came  on  them  from  without. 
There  were  persons  who  had  learned  to  ascribe  to  the 
venerable  Jerusalem  other  lines  from  the  same  stanza  of 
the  same  poet,  in  a  dignified  and  a  pleasing  sense — 

Giustizia  mosse  1  mio  alto  fattore : 
La  somma  sapienza  d  1  primo  amore— 

words  perfectly  applicable  to  that  sacred  city,  with  the 
sequence  of  acts  and  prophecies  there  accomplished,  and 
not  exclusive  of  a  ftiturity  more  brilliant  still  in  reserve. 

The  Creator  of  all  has  endowed  some  minds  with  the 
faculty  of  dwelling  with  complacency  upon  pleasant 
images  of  both  past  and  future,  in  alleviation  of  the  harsh 
and  carking  cares  that  beset  our  life's  career.  Minds 
such  as  these  may  delight  in  idyllic  scenes  of  olden  time 


144   a    ANTICIPATIONS  FOR  THE  FUTUEE. 

at  some  periods  of  Hebrew  history,  when  every  man  sat 
under  his  own  vine  and  under  his  own  fig  tree,  the  ver- 
dure of  which  was  enlivened  by  the  scarlet  blossoms  of 
the  pomegranate  ;  and  in  contemplating  the  times  when, 
secure  from  foreign  invasion,  each  man  repaired  thrice 
a  year  to  the  one  Holy  Temple,  bringing  with  him  the 
rural  offerings  for  himself  and  for  his  family.     And  then 
they  may  anticipate  a  peaceful  time  to  come,  when  rivers 
shall  break  forth  in  dry  places ;  when  the  hills  now  so 
bare  shall  be  clothed  with  the  verdure  of  fruit  trees ; 
when    every  village  may  be   a   collection  of  Christian 
families,  each  with  its  parish  church   and  school;  and 
when,  as  Jerome  partly  witnessed  in  the  fifth  century,  and 
described,  Bethlehem  shepherds  and  husbandmen   may 
do  their  work,  singing  Alleluias  and  the  Psalms  of  David  ; 
— finally,  when  '  Violence  shall  no  more  be  heard  in  the 
land,  wasting  nor  destruction  within  its  borders;'  and 
'  they  shall  not  hurt  nor  destroy  in  all  the  Holy  moun- 
tain/ 

But  these  happy  visions  are  matters  of  faith,  not  of 
sight.  The  bliss  and  the  moral  sunshine  are  as  yet  but 
future  ;  for  now  we  look  around,  and  have  to  see — ^that 
state  of  things  described  in  this  work :  a  custody  of  Holy 
Places  by  unbelievers,  amid  the  unholy  passions  of  jea- 
lousy, malice,  with  mendacity  and  uncharitableness,  to 
the  extent  of  actual  bloodthirstiness ;  and  we  have  to 
behold  the  barbarism  of  those  who  are  the  present  tenants 
of  the  Promised  Land.     How  long  ? 

The  two  English  Missionary  Societies  who  had  esta- 
blishments in  Jerusalem  were — 1.  The  London  Society 
for  Promoting  Christianity  among  the  Jews.     2.  The 


MISSIONARr  SOCIETIES.  145 

ChuTcli  Missionary  Society.  The  first,  the  Jews'  Society, 
employed  some  English  agents,  and  some  foreigners  and 
Jewish  converts.  They  held  the  church  and  the  land 
upon  which  it  was  built,  in  trust,  and  they  also  had  a 
hospital  for  poor  Jews,  and  a  dispensary.  The  chief  of 
this  mission  was  the  Keverend  J.  Nicolayson,  a  Dane  by 
birth,  but  ordained  in  London,  who  had  been  in  Palestine 
since  1825. 

The  Church  Missionary  Society  employed  Germans 
chiefly ;  they  had  stations  at  Jerusalem,  Nabloos,  Naza- 
reth, and  Bethlehem.  Besides  the  work  carried  on  by 
these  societies,  the  Anglican  bishop  employed  native 
Scripture  readers,  and  had  elementary  schools  in  Jeru* 
salem  and  in  various  other  places. 

A  sewing  and  knitting  school  for  Jewesses  was 
founded  in  Jerusalem  by  an  English  lady.  Miss  Cooper, 
who  superintended  it  with  the  help  of  young  English 
assistants.  Certain  American  and  German  sectaries,  each 
body  but  few  in  number,  but  classed  under  the  elastic 
name  of  Protestant,  had  occasionally  been  foimd  in 
Jerusalem  and  Jafia,  but  their  importance  had  always 
been  too  small  to  attract  attention,  and  they  had  no  sort 
of  connection  with  the  EngUsh  bishopric  or  church. 

At  the  period  to  which  this  history  refers,  there  were 
several  native  English  families  resident  in  Jerusalem,  who 
were  of  course  regular  attendants  at  the  English  services 
in  Christ  Church.  The  numerous  British  travellers  were 
also  glad  to  avail  themselves  of  the  opportunity  of  attend- 
ing Divine  service  here  afforded  them. 

We  may  now  come  to  the  subject  of  Protestantism 
among  the  native  Arabic-speaking  Christians  of  the  country. 
VOL.  I,  h 


146  NATIVE  PROTESTANTS, 

The  change  that  has  taken  place  by  means  of  the  ingrafk 
of  Protestantism  among  Arab-Christians  cannot  be  ade- 
quately understood  without  looking  back  to  the  records 
of  early  missionary  explorers,  such  as  Jowett,  Wolff,  and 
Fisk  of  the  year  1823,  or  the  American  reports  home  of 
Whiting,  Bird,  and  Gk)odell.  The  fright  goading  to  acts 
of  desperation  which  the  Latin  convent  eichibited,  on  the 
approach  of  the  first  shadow  of  Protestantism,  is  narrated 
as  follows : — ^Fisk  and  a  companion  arrived  in  Jerusalem 
with  a  box  of  Bibles  in  Arabic  and  other  languages,  for 
sale,  or  other  means  of  distribution.  The  local  governor 
arrested  their  proceedings,  because,  he  said,  '  the  Latins 
told  him  the  books  were  neither  Jewish,  Mohammedan, 
nor  Christian/  The  box  and  writing-desks  were  ran- 
sacked, and  then  placed  in  a  room  which  they  sealed  up. 
Proclamation  was  made  in  the  streets,  forbidding  persons 
to  buy  or  accept  the  volumes  from  these  strangers,  and 
ordering  that  alf  such  purchases  or  presents  were  to  be 
returned.  Then  the  missionaries  were  taken  by  police 
through  the  streets  to  both  Kadi  and  Governor,  and  made 
to  pass  a  night  in  the  filthy  guard-room,  among  soldiers 
gambling.  Next  day,  however,  they  were  allowed  to  sell 
or  give  the  books,  only  not  to  Mohammedans ;  an  when 
uiged  to  punish  the  intruders  by  imprisonment,  the  Go- 
vernor found  that  he  had  no  power  to  proceed  so  far  with 
the  possessors  of  a  travelling  Firm&n. 

The  old  Orthodox  Church  of  the  land  remained  more 
drowsy  than  the  Latins  for  a  time.  It  had  never  been 
their  habit  to  obstruct  the  use  of  Holy  Scripture  among 
the  laity,  probably  on  account  of  the  results  of  printing- 
presses  not  having  yet  made  much  inroad  among  them — 


EARLY  MISSIONAIIIES.  147 

though  it  must  be  allowed  that  even  now  they  offer  no 
direct  impediment  on  that  point.  It  was  at  a  later  period, 
when  seceders  from  them  began  to  form  themselves  into 
communities  under  a  separate  designation,  that  the  Greek 
ecclesiastics  began  to  act,  and  resorted  to  persecution; 
and  this  was  chiefly  done  through  the  hands  of  Moslem 
municipal  authorities  (set  in  motion  by  the  Greeks  or 
by  the  Eussian  authorities).  The  march  of  events  has 
brought  about  a  more  favourable  condition  of  Protes- 
tantism. 

The  early  efforts  of  Smith  and  Whiting,  who  suc- 
ceeded in  settling  in  the  country  during  the  Egjrptian 
rule,  never  died  away — the  seeds  did  not  perish  entirely. 
The  Bibles  and  treatises  which  they  circulated  remained 
in  possession  of  families  at  Jerusalem,  Nabloos,  Nazareth, 
and  other  places ;  and  the  Hatti-Shereef  of  1841  had 
proclaimed  religious  toleration,  so  far  as  a  Ktate  document 
could  enforce  obedience  upon  an  unwiUing  majority  of  its 
subjects.  The  charter  only  required  honesty  and  uncor- 
rupt  hands  on  the  part  of  its  administrators  to  obtain  suc- 
cess. The  conditions  prescribed  to  those  who  were  to  be 
benefited  by  it  were  shnply— for  each  community,  new 
or  old — ^to  register  the  names  of  its  members  by  a  govern- 
ment oflScer,  and  to  elect  officers  from  themselves  who 
should  be  responsible  to  government  for  the  taxes  when 
due. 

Very  soon  after  the  arrival  of  the  second  English 
bishop  (consecrated  in  1846),  namely,  in  1847,  the  sur- 
vivors of  the  old  frequenters  of  the  American  missionaries 
gathered  around  him  as  they  had  around  his  predecessor, 
and  represented  that,  having  got  possession  of  our  Prayer- 


148  PBOIESTAimSM  LBOALLT  BEOOGNISED. 

book  in  their  own  language,  and  so  become  acquainted 
with  its  contents,  they  desired  to  place  themselves  under 
his  instruction.  They  described  their  condition  as  that 
of  having  been  long  ago  excommunicated  fix>m  their 
original  Qreeli  and  Latin  churches  (mostly  the  former), 
they  were  now  without  public  worship  or  the  Christian 
Sacraments,  and  their  children  were  growing  up  in  igno- 
rance of  spiritual  things ;  they  pleaded  the  sacred  rights  of 
human  conscience  (almost  a  novelty  in  the  East),  and  the 
toleration  proclaimed  by  the  government  of  their  native 
country — ^b^ging  to  be  furnished  with  teachers  of  reli- 
gion, especially  in  behalf  of  the  young  generation  who 
had  never  been  subjects  of  Greek  or  Boman  ecclesiastical 
rulers. 

After  the  Pirmftn  of  1850,  recognising  the  indepen- 
dence of  Protestantism  in  the  empire,  and  prescribing  its 
relations  to  the  Sultan's  government,  these  people,  in  con- 
formity with  the  same,  formed  themselves  into  a  body  in 
each  of  their  respective  towns,  at  first  under  the  denomi- 
nation of  *  Anjellyeen,'  or  '  Gtospellers,'  ^  the  same  as  that 
of  the  old  English  Wickliffites ;  they  elected  their  officers 
duly,  and  had  themselves  registered  in  government  books. 

The  bishop  could  not  bid  them  return  to  obedience  of 
the  Jerusalem  patriarchate,  and  submit  themselves  to  a 
cleigy  from  whom  their  minds  revolted,  as  being  too 
frequently  ignorant,  tyrannical,  and  sensual  in  habits  of 
life ;  or  tell  them,  in  short,  that  they  were  not  Christians 
unless  they  did  so  return ;  and  then  they  had  been  already 

^  Thifl  title  has  neyer  obtained  usage  among  oatdders.  The  fitmiliar 
name  all  over  the  country,  and  eyen  among  the  people  themselyes,  is '  Bor- 
distantiy'  i.e,  'Protestant' — ^besides,  that  is  the  name  desi^;nated  in  the 
Finn4n, 


CONGREGATIONS  FORMED.  149 

excommunicated  and  cast  off.  He,  therefore,  got  schools 
provided  for  them  at  the  expense  of  the  Church  Mis- 
sionary Society,  or  perhaps  with  some  help  from  other 
quarters.  A  house  in  each  of  the  above  towns  was  taken, 
and  a  native  schoolmaster  paid  in  each,  who  also  col- 
lected the  people  together  at  stated  times  for  reading  the 
Scriptures  and  portions  of  our  Litui^y :  this  as  a  provi- 
sional condition  till  a  European  could  be  found  and 
trained  to  be  their  pastor. 

In  this  manner  was  embodied  the  Arab  Protestantism 
of  Palestine.  The  people  were  anxious  to  escape  from 
the  intolerable  state  in  which  they  had  been  brought  up, 
and  to  enjoy  the  liberty  accorded  them  by  their  civil 
Sovereign. 

I  leave  to  others  to  discuss  their  doctrinal  reasons  for 
secession. 

The  Turkish  rulers  cared  nothing  for  the  new  turn  of 
events.  Those  of  the  modem  school,  the  Tanzim&t,  &c., 
were  professors  of  liberaUty,  and  those  of  the  old  school 
were  indifferent  to  any  interchange  of  sects  among  Chris- 
tians. They  held  that  *  hepsi  donuz '  (they  are  all  pigs 
alike),  and  there  was  no  more  to  be  said  about  it,  or,  ac- 
cording to  an  Arabic  proverb,  *  Eeehhet  et  Toom,  reehhah 
wahh'deh '  (the  smell  of  all  garlic  is  one). 

When  under  influence  of  bribery  from  the  convents, 
the  local  authorities  did  take  the  trouble  to  put  obstacles 
in  the  way  of  Christian  nonconformity,  those  obstacles 
were  made  in  the  form  of  technicalities  connected  with 
the  taxes,  and  in  this  manner : — 

According  to  ancient  practice  of  administration,  in 
each  town  or  rural  district,  every  sect — ^Moslem,  Jewish, 


l50  Mot  at  nazareth. 

Chiistian,  etc. — had  its  chief,  who  kept  a  raster  of  its 
families  in  duplicate  with  that  of  the  government,  and 
was  responsible  for  so  much  taxation,  in  proportion  to 
the  number  of  heads  of  fitmUies  on  the  list. 

But  for  a  long  time  until  pressure  could  be  brought 
to  bear  from  higher  quarters,  which  of  course  involved 
delay,  the  local  collector  would  refuse  to  remove  the 
name  of  an  obnoxious  person  or  family  from  its  old  ac- 
customed  register  to  the  fresh  one  of  the  Protestants, 
alleging  the  confusion  that  must  result  in  making  up  the 
public  accounts  ;  yet,  in  many  instances,  at  the  same  time 
also  levying  upon  them  on  the  new  account. 

This  behaviour  of  the  local  officer  was  always  in  con- 
formity with  the  motive-action  of  the  convents,  or  others 
who  pulled  the  wires. 

In  March  1852  Nazareth  was  the  scene  of  a  Latin 
riot  at  the  instigation  of  the  friars,  without  the  direct 
sanction  of  the  petty  Moslem  governor.  In  that  town  the 
Latin  sect  of  Christians  k  the  most  numerous,  and  their 
influence  in  questions  of  property  and  suchlike  matters 
is  therefore  considerable. 

Fra  Angelo  was  at  that  time  their  popular  preacher, 
and  one  Sunday  in  the  Convent  Church  (the  celebrated 
Church  of  the  Annunciation),  he  wrought  himself  up  to 
frenzy  in  the  pulpit — he  stamped  and  tore  his  hair,  voci- 
ferating that  *The  Protestants,  the  cursed  Protestants, 
had  dared  to  come  even  here,  even  here !  in  the  city  of 
Jesus  Christ  himself  and  his  holy  Mother ! ' 

He  concluded  his  sermon  by  an  excommunication 
of  certain  individuals  from  their  body,  and  had  their 
names  posted   on  the  church-door.     No  wonder  that 


MEASUBES  FOR  OBTAININO  KEDBESS.  15 1 

on  the  second  day  afterwards  a  rabble  assembled  in  the 
streets,  and  proceeded  to  pull  down  the  Protestant  school 
during  the  time  of  the  children's  lessons,  and  flinging  the 
masonry  stones  about  they  cut  open  the  head  of  the 
schoolmaster,  a  European  agent  of  an  English  society, 
while  Era  Angelo  was  a  spectator  of  the  doings  from 
round  a  street  comer.  InteUigence  of  the  affair  was  sent 
to  me,  with  appeal  for  protection,  and  I  determined  on 
repairing  to  the  place  myself  to  get  what  redress  I  could 
from  the  Governor ;  at  least  on  account  of  the  damage 
done  to  the  house,  which  was  the  property  of  the  Church 
Missionary  Society  (the  minister  and  the  schoolmaster 
were  respectively  French  and  German  subjects).  I  wrote 
'  off  to  the  Pashk  of  Acre,  in  whose  territory  Nazareth  lies, 
requesting  him  to  send  to  meet  me  at  Nazareth,  and  to 
have  inquiries  instituted  as  to  the  riotous  proceedings.  I 
also  acquainted  our  bishop  with  my  plan  of  action. 

In  two  days  I  was  at  Nazareth,  but  owing  to  my 
having  slept  at  Nabloos  on  the  way,  the  secretary  of  the 
Latin  Patriarch  (the  latter  had  heard  of  my  movements) 
arrived  first  on  the  scene.  At  entrance  of  the  town 
I  was  hooted  at  by  children  of  the  Latins  clapping  their 
hands,  and  screaming  out  the  epithet  '  Bordistanti '  (Pro- 
testant) ;  some  stones  were  likewise  thrown  innocuously 
from  a  distance. 

Next  day  being  Sunday,  I  notified  to  the  MuteseUim, 
or  Governor,  that  I  was  going  to  Divine  worship  at  the 
Protestant  Chapel  (used  as  the  school  on  week-days), 
and  got  his  promise  that  no  molestation  should  occur ;  in 
fact  all  went  off  peaceably.  The  congregation  that  day 
consisted  of  about  twenty  natives  (their  wives  not  attend- 


152  EPFECr  PBOBUCED. 

ing,  because  the  place  was  not  a  consecrated  church :  such 
is  the  inveterate  Oriental  feeling,  and  which  cannot  but 
be  respected).  The  English  liturgy  was  read  in  Arabic, 
and  the  ^  proper  lessons '  by  one  of  the  congregation,  son 
of  a  Greek  priest. 

The  street  was  still  encumbered  with  stones  of  the 
house  wall  as  left  by  the  rioters.  In  the  afternoon  ar- 
rived three  horsemen  from  Acre,  bringing  a  letter  from 
the  Fashk  to  the  MuteseUim,  which  ordained  that  the 
Protestant  worship  was  not  to  be  hindered  or  insulted. 

Next  day,  after  formal  visits  from,  and  then  returned 
to,  the  Mutesellim,  I  took  down  the  depositions  of  wit- 
nesses, and  the  morning  after  dispatched  my  CanceUiere 
with  them  to  Acre  to  have  the  case  judged  while  I  should 
return  home,  leaving  the  Uttle  Protestant  community 
much  reUeved  in  mind ;  the  great  point  had  been  gained 
of  impressing  upon  the  mind  of  the  Moslem  govemcS* 
that  violence  was  not  to  be  allowed,  and  upon  that  of 
the  people  that  enquiry  would  surely  follow  upon  any 
outrage. 

In  Nabloos  on  the  return  I  had  some  business  with 
the  Samaritans,  who  are  also  a  persecuted  people,  and 
attended  morning  and  evening  prayers  in  the  Protestant 
school-room. 

At  Jerusalem  I  at  once  visited  the  Latin  patriarch, 
and  related  the  occurrences.  Of  course,  his  Grace  depre- 
cated the  resort  to  public  tumult  and  personal  injury, 
but  was  of  opinion,  which  could  not  be  contravened,  that 
every  human  association  has  a  right  to  expel  members 
who  infringe  its  known  regulations :  and  on  my  reply- 
ing that  the  posting  of  excommunicated  names  upon  the 


lATIN  PATBIAROH'S  OPINION.     PROGRESS.        153 

church-door  was  a  needless  measure  after  the  fact  of  ex- 
trusion was  accomplished,  he  explained,  what  was  quite 
true,  that  that  church-door  was  situated  within  a  court 
yard  to  which  the  general  public  of  the  town  did  not 
resort,  and  therefore  the  scandal  had  not  been  very  great. 
The  matter  of  the  riot  lay  with  the  Pashk  of  Acre  to  deal 
with. 

In  conclusion  of  this  episode,  it  should  be  added  that 
no  other  consul  took  up  the  business,  and  that  it  required 
a  second  ride  to  Nazareth,  and  thence  to  Acre,  to  get  as 
much  redress  as  could  be  expected,  and  which  really  was 
effective  at  last  by  means  of  orders  sent  from  Constan- 
tinople through  our  ambassador,  Sir  Stratford  Canning.^ 
Fra  Angelo  was  beyond  our  reach,  for  it  is  said  that, 
according  to  capitulations,  the  inmates  of  convents  are 
amenable  only  to  their  own  superiors. 

The  next  year  (1853)  I  was  again  in  Nazareth,  and 
found  the  Protestants  respectable  in  number  and  cha- 
racter ;  they  were  also  supported  by  a  goodly  party  in 
the  town  council.  The  Greek  party  was  necessarily  some- 
what in  the  shade  by  reason  of  the  war  then  commenced, 
and  they  had  summoned  their  only  clever  man  in  Pales- 
tine (out  of  Jerusalem)  Nyphon,  the  curate  of  Nabloos,  to 
be  bishop  of  Nazareth,  with  a  view  of  counteracting  the 
Protestant  progress.  The  Latin  community  was  still  at 
the  mercy  of  stupid  and  ignorant  friars,  whose  influence 
was  certainly  diminished  since  Fra  Angelo's  ebullition 
above  described. 

On  the  whole  subject  of  native  Protestantism  I  am 
convinced  that  it  has  a  good  reflective  effect  upon  the  old 

^  See  TranalationB  given  at  the  end  of  this  Ohapter. 


154       INFLUENCE  ON  THE  EASTERN  CHURCHES. 

Christian  communities,  and  also  in  behalf  of  even  these  in 
the  mind  of  the  Moslem  enemies,  who  will  learn  that 
Christianity  is  not  necessarily  a  mere  worship  of  images 
and  pictures,  but  is  consistent  with  good  moral  conduct 
before  God  and  man.  The  servitude  of  many  generations 
has  undoubtedly  produced  an  evil  effect  upon  Oriental 
Christendom,  so  that  one  often  hears  it  said,  Give  me  the 
plain  word  of  a  Mohammedan  and  I  will  believe  it,  but 
no  trust  is  to  be  placed  in  a  score  of  Christian  oaths.  I 
am  sure  that  there  is  at  all  times  much  exaggeration  in 
this,  and  that  in  so  fisir  as  it  may  be  true,  we  are  to  attri- 
bute the  difference  to  prolonged  oppression  endured  on 
the  one  side,  while  the  outside  virtues  of  Moslems  are 
often  the  fruit  of  intense  and  intolerable  pride. 

Protestantism  in  Turkey  has  already  had,  and  will 
continue  to  have,  an  ameliorating,  a  recuperative  tendency. 
It  is  the  true  salt  taking  the  place  of  old  salt  that  has  lost 
much  of  its  savour,  not  only  in  concerns  of  worship  and 
dogma,  but  in  relation  to  conscience  and  its  effect  upon 
society. 

The  Oriental,  though  living  churches,  lie  in  a  state 
of  lethargy.  The  Roman  church  has  in  that  country 
a  higher  amount  of  energy  imparted  to  it  through  the 
Patriarchate,  although  working  upon  several  wrong  prin- 
ciples ;  while  at  the  time  we  are  now  considering.  Pro- 
testantism, as  represented  by  the  Church  of  England,  had 
not  the  force  and  vivacity  that  it  ought  to  exhibit,  in 
respect  to  either  its  national,  or  its  distinctive  doctrinal 
character. 

From  what  has  been  now  said  on  the  subject  it  will 
be  seen  that  in  1853  Protestantism,  native  and  foreign, 


PIRMAN  FOR  BUILDING  CONSULAR  dlAPEL.       J  55 

had  made  considerable  progress  in  Palestine — that  it  had 
become  an  appreciable  element  in  public  afiairs,  an  ele- 
ment likely  to  rise  into  greater  importance.^ 

Translation  of  a  Firm&nj  addressed  to  the  Vallee  of  Saida^ 
the  Oovemor  of  JerusaleTn^  and  others^  a/tUhorismg  the 
huildvng  of  a  British  ConsuLar  Chapel  in  Jerusalem. 

It  has  been  represented,  both  now  and  before,  on  the  part  of 
the  British  embassy  residing  at  my  Court,  that  British  and 
Prussian  Protestant  subjects  visiting  Jerusalem  meet  with  dif- 
ficulties and  obstructions,  owing  to  their  not  possessing  a  place 
of  worship  for  the  observance  of  Protestant  rites ;  and  it  has 
been  requested  that  permission  should  be  given  to  erect  for  the 
first  time  a  special  Protestant  place  of  worship  within  the  British 
Consular  residence  at  Jerusalem. 

Whereas  it  is  in  accordance  with  the  perfect  amity  and  cor- 
dial relations  existing  between  the  Grovernment  of  Q-reat  Britain 
and  my  Sublime  Porte,  that  the  requests  of  that  Q-ovemment 
should  be  complied  with  as  far  as  possible ;  and  whereas,  more- 
over, the  aforesaid  place  of  worship  is  to  be  within  the  Consular 
residence,  my  Royal  permission  is  therefore  granted  for  the 
erection  of  the  aforesaid  special  place  of  worship  within  the 
aforesaid  Consular  residence.  And  my  Imperial  order  having 
been  issued  for  that  purpose,  the  present  decree  containing  per- 
mission has  been  specially  given  from  my  Imperial  divan. 

When  therefore  it  becomes  known  unto  you,  Vallee  of  Saida, 
Governor  of  Jerusalem,  and  others,  as  aforesaid,  that  our  Boyal 
permission  has  been  granted  for  the  erection  in  the  manner 
above  stated  of  the  aforesaid  place  of  worship,  you  will  be  care- 

'  In  Jerusalem,  in  1853,  the  congregation  which  assemhled  in  the  English 
Church  was  as  follows : — 


Adnlte. 

GhfldioL 

English 

84 

18 

Jewish  Ghiistians 

82 

27 

,f      Oatechumens 

19 

7 

Arab  Communicanta 

20 

22 

Prussian  Congregation 

21 

2 

156  EIRMAN  PROTECTING  PROTESTANTS. 

fill  that  no  person  do  in  any  manner  whatever  oppose  the  erec- 
tion of  the  aforesaid  place  of  worship  in  the  manner  stated,  and 
you  will  not  act  in  contravention  hereof.  For  which  purpose 
my  Imperial  Firman*  is  issued. 

On  its  arrival  you  will  act  in  accordance  with  my  Imperial 
Firman  issued  for  this  purpose  in  the  manner  aforesaid — be  it 
thus  known  unto  you,  giving  full  faith  to  the  Imperial  cypher. 

Written  on  the  first  day  of  Ramadan  1261  (10  Sept.  1845> 

Translation  of  the  Firman  of  1850,  granting  Protection  to 

ProteetarUa^  being  Turkish  Subjects. 

To  my  Vizier  Mohammed  Pasha,  Minister  of  Police  at  my 
Capital — the  honourable  minister  and  glorious  counsellor,  the 
model  of  the  world,  and  regulator  of  the  affairs  of  the  com- 
munity, who,  directing  the  public  interests  with  sublime  pru- 
dence, consolidating  the  structure  of  the  empire  with  wisdom, 
and  strengthening  the  columns  of  its  prosperity  and  renown,  is 
the  recipient  of  every  grace  from  the  Most  High.  May  Gt>d 
prolong  his  glory  I 

When  this  Sublime  and  August  Mandate  reaches  you,  let  it 
be  known  that 

Whereas  hitherto  those  of  my  Christian  subjects  who  have 
embraced  the  Protestant  faith  have  suffered  inconvenience  and 
difficulties  in  consequence  of  their  not  being  placed  under  a 
separate  and  special  jurisdiction,  and  in  consequence  of  the 
Patriarchs  and  Primates  of  their  old  creeds  which  they  have 
abandoned,  naturally  not  being  able  to  administer  their  affairs : 
And  whereas,  in  necessary  accordance  with  my  Imperial  com- 
passion which  extends  to  all  classes  of  my  subjects,  it  is  con- 
trary to  my  Imperial  pleasure  that  any  one  class  of  them  should 
be  exposed  to  trouble : 

And  whereas  by  reason  of  their  faith^  the  above-mentioned 
already  form  a  separate  community,  it  is  therefore  my  royal 
compassionate  will,  that,  by  all  means,  measures  be  adopted  for 
facilitating  the  administration  of  their  affairs  so  that  they  may 
live  in  peace,  quiet,  and  security. 


FTRMAN  protecting  PROTESTANTS.  157 

Let  then  a  respectable  and  trustworthy  person  acceptable  to, 
and  chosen  by,  themselves  from  among  their  own  members,  be 
appointed  with  the  title  of  Agent  of  the  Protestants,  who  shall 
be  attached  to  the  department  of  the  Minister  of  Police.  It  shall 
be  the  duty  of  the  agent  to  have  under  his  charge  the  register 
of  the  members  of  the  community,  which  shall  be  kept  at  the 
police.  The  agent  shall  cause  to  be  registered  therein  all  births 
and  deaths  in  the  community.  All  applications  for  passports  and 
marriage  licences,  and  special  transactions  of  the  community 
that  are  to  be  presented  at  the  Sublime  Porte  or  to  any  other 
department,  must  be  given  under  the  official  seal  of  his  agent. 

For  the  execution  of  my  will,  this  my  royal  mandate  and 
august  command  has  been  specially  issued  and  granted  from  my 
Imperial  Chancery. 

Hence,  you,  the  Minister  above-named,  in  accordance  with 
the  explanations  given,  will  execute  to  the  letter  the  preceding 
ordinance ;  except  that  as  the  collection  of  the  capitation  tax 
and  delivery  of  passports  are  subjected  to  specific  regulations, 
you  will  not  do  anything  contrary  to  them.  You  will  not  per- 
mit anything  to  be  required  of  them  on  pretence  of  fees  and 
expenses,  for  marriage  licences  or  registrations. 

You  will  see  to  it  that,  like  the  other  conmiunities  of  the  Em- 
pire in  all  their  affairs  and  all  matters  appertaining  to  their  ceme- 
teries and  places  of  worship,  they  should  have  every  facility  and 
assistance  needed.  You  will  not  permit  that  any  of  the  other 
communities  should  in  any  way  interfere  with  their  rights  or 
with  their  religious  concerns,  and,  in  short,  in  no  wise  with  any 
of  their  affairs,  secular  or  religious,  that  thus  they  may  be 
enabled  to  exercise  the  usages  of  their  faith  in  security. 

And  it  is  enjoined  upon  you  not  to  allow  them  to  be  mo- 
lested  an  iota  in  these  particulars,  or  in  any  others,  and  that  all 
attention  and  perseverance  be  put  in  requisition  to  maintain 
them  in  quiet  and  security.  And  in  case  of  necessity,  they  are 
permitted  to  make  representations  regarding  their  affairs  through 
their  agent  to  the  Sublime  Porte. 

When  this  my  Imperial  will  shall  be  brought  to  your  know- 
ledge and  appreciation,  you  will  have  this  august  Edict  regis- 


158  GRAND  VIZIERB  LETTER. 

• 

tered  in  the  proper  department,  and  cause  it  to  be  perpetuated 
in  the  hands  of  the  above-mentioned  subjects,  and  you  will  see 
to  it  that  its  requirements  be  always  executed  to  their  full 
import. 

Thus  be  it  known  to  thee,  and  respect  my  sacred  signet  I 
Written  in  the  holy  month  of  Moharrem,  A.H.  1267  (Nov. 
1860). 

Qiven  in  the  protected  city  of  Constantinople. 

Letter  from  the  Orcmd  Vizier  to  Mehemet  Pashdi,  Oovemor  of 

Saida.    Dated  April  6th^  1852. 

Clear  information  has  reached  us  that  some  Catholics,  dwell- 
ing in  Nazareth,  have  assaulted  two  Protestant  clergymen,  and 
that  the  latter  were  unable  to  defend  themselves  or  to  restore 
or  maintain  peace  and  tranquillity  in  that  village,  inasmuch  as 
the  local  G-ovemor  had  not  even  a  single  agent  of  Police  at 
hand : 

Now  his  Imperial  Majesty  is  desirous  that  all  classes  of  his 
subjects,  living  under  the  shadow  of  his  guardianship,  should 
enjoy  in  all  respects  the  utmost  personal  security  and  be  fully 
protected : 

Therefore,  your  Excellency,  after  verifying  the  facts,  will 
forthwith  place,  in  the  above-mentioned  village,  a  police  force 
sufficient  to  assure  the  tranquillity  of  its  inhabitants,  and  will 
instantly  take  steps  to  seek  out,  arrest  and  punish  the  persons 
who  have  dared  to  commit  the  outrage  just  alluded  to,  so  as  to 
inspire  terror  into  like  persons.  And  for  that  end,  we  have 
addressed  this  present  letter  to  your  Excellency. 

(Signed)  Mustafa  Bashbed. 

16  Jumadhi  el  akher,  1208. 


159 


CHAPTER  Vn. 

TURKISH  GOVERNMENT  IN  PALESTINE. 

Pashis — ^fiCilitary  force — EegxQars — '  Nixam ' — Irregulars  — '  Baehi-Bozuk  * 
— ^Their  pay  and  their  duties — ^Taxation — Jaffa  as  Seaport — Law  Courts — 
Kidi — ^Mufd — Christian  Evidence — Municipal  Courts — Mejlis — Reforms 
— ^Arab  Office-holders — Jewish  'Beth-din' — Weak  points  in  the  adminis- 
tration of  Law — ^The  laws  in  Turkey  are  good  in  themselves — Benefits 
of  Consular  vigilance — Check  upon  unjust  rulers — Effect  upon  the  Pash&s 
of  Consular  reports  to  the  British  Embassy  at  Constantinople — ^Progress 
and  improvement  before  Crimean  War — Condition  of  Christians  ma- 
terially improved  before  1863 — Influence  of  Lord  Stratford  de  Eedcliffe 
— ^Injurious  effect  of  Russian  War^  in  reviving  fanaticism  and  checking 
progress — ^Testimony  of  Lord  Stratford  de  Redcliffe. 

We  have  reviewed  the  parties  in  immediate  collision  for 
custody  of  the  Sanctuaries,  and  in  order  to  understand 
fully  the  condition  of  the  country  during  the  events  to 
be  hereafter  related,  we  have  taken  also  into  consideration 
other  corporate  concerns.  The  first  in  importance  of  all 
must  be  those  of  the  Turkish  administration .  of  govern- 
ment in  Palestine.  Let  us  now  proceed  to  a  sketch  of 
the  condition  of  the  Turkish  government  before  and  up  to 
1856.  This  was  carried  on  by  a  Governor  from  Con- 
stantinople who,  until  the  Crimean  war  began,  had  only 
the  rank  of  *  Muteserref,'  or  Pashk  having  two  horse-tails, 
for  his  ensign. 

He  was  usually  spoken  of  as  *The  Pashk.'  His 
immediate  superior  was  the  *W&li'  or  'Musheer'  of 
Saida  (Sidon),  with  three  horse-tails  for  ensign,   now 


160  FASH^. 

reading  in  Beyroot,  although  previous  to  the  expulsion 
of  the  Egyptians  in  1840,  Jerusalem  had  been  dependent 
on  Damascus,  whoever  might  be  its  local  ruler. 

The  custom  of  the  Turkish  Government  was  to  appoint 
Paahiis  for  only  one  year — removing  them  at  the  end  of 
that  term  to  Home  other  post.  The  appointments  were 
made  in  Constantinople  in  the  month  of  March.  Hitherto, 
as  already  mentioned,  the  Jerusalem  Fashk  had  been  only  of 
the  grade  of  '  Muteserref,'  with  ensign  of  two  horse-tails. 
Now,  however,  the  Ottoman  Government  had  sent  us  for 
Paahk  a  '  Musheer,'  whose  higher  grade  entitled  him  to 
the  ensign  of  three  horse-t^ls — thus  making  Jerusalem 
and  its  Governor  of  equal  rank  with  Beyroot  and  its 
Musheer,  to  whom  the  Paahis  of  Jerusalem  and  of  Acre 
had  hitherto  been  subordinate.  It  was  an  unprecedented 
occurrence  for  Jerusalem  to  have  a  Musheer  of  its  own. 
He  was,  as  usual,  a  Turk  from  Constantinople,  Hhftfiz 
Pashk  by  name,  and  he  was  an  old  man  of  much  bodily 
infirmity,  intent  only  on  making  the  most  of  his  office 
in  a  pecuniary  sense,  so  long  as  it  lasted.  His  age  (it 
was  said  he  was  eighty)  and  decrepitude  led  peopl'^  ♦" 
suppose  that  in  any  case  this  would  not  be  long. 

His  hungry  dependent  scribes,  pipe-bearers,  etc., 
had  come  with  their  master,  were  as  intent  as  he  on  ma 
their  fortune,  and,  being  younger  men,  were  able  to 
more  active  measures  to  that  end.  But  the  Pashi 
many  opportimities,  without  leaving  his  Seraglio,  of  e 
dsing  the  Turkish  adroitness  which  induces  those  ui 
Government  jurisdiction  to  propitiate  their  rulers 
means  of  bakhsheesh.  And  his  rank  gave  him  a  cei 
waght  and  influence  in  the  country  at  first. 


THE  SERAGLIO.  161 

European  visitors  who  for  any  object  gained  access 
through  their  Consulates  to  the  Seraglio,  i.e.  the  Pashk's 
residence,  never  failed  to  be  astonished  at  the  beggarly 
meanness  of  that  mansion  and  its  attendants,  as  well  as  at 
the  simplicity  of  the  mode  of  conducting  business  there, 
unless  indeed  they  had  previously  had  opportunities  of 
seeing  other  Seraglios  in  other  provinces,  for  all  are  nearly 
alike.  His  Excellency  himself  was  free  from  pomp  and 
glorification,  for  why  should  he  spend  money  on  these  ? 

His  officials  were  ragamuffins.  The  house  was  one 
hired  for  rent,  extremely  dilapidated,  with  its  lower  rooms 
employed  as  a  prison  for  criminals,  whose  chains  were 
often  heard  rattling,  and  from  which  region  unwholesome 
exhalations  proceeded.  The  reception  room  was  poorly 
furnished  and  under  some  of  the  Pashks  paper  bags  were 
to  be  seen  suspended  on  nails  around  the  walls,  each  con- 
taining fiscal  accounts  or  correspondence  belonging  to  the 
place  whose  name  was  written  upon  it,  but  in  a  later  period 
these  were  removed  to  another  room,  where  the  secreta- 
ries were  engaged,  seated  cross-l^ged  amid  an  admirable 
confusion  of  papers. 

This  state  of  tilings  was,  however,  compatible  with 
extreme  formality  and  servility  on  the  part  of  secre- 
taries and  officers  in  attendance,  and  oriental  poUteness 
to  strangers  on  the  part  of  His  Excellency.  It  appears 
that  some  improvements  have  been  made  of  late  years, 
in  respect  of  furniture  and  method.  As  for  Archives  of 
the  Pashalic,  we  had  reason  to  believe  that  none  were 
preserved  in  Jerusalem,  each  Pashk  carrying  oflf  the  papers 
referring  to  his  own  term  of  office. 

The  Pashalic  was  divided  into  the  three  *  Sanjaks ' 

VOL.  I.  M 


162  TURKISH  OFFICIALS. 

(literally  meaning  ^banners'),  or  districts  of  Jerusalem, 
Nabloos,  and  Gaza,  each  having  its  own  civil  governor  (in 
Nabloos  and  Gtaza  styled  the  '  Mutesellini/  or  in  Turkish 
the  ^Eaimak&m'),  its  own  Judge  (E&di)  and  treasurer 
(Khaznad&r).  The  Pashk  was  understood  to  hold  office 
for  one  year,  the  K&di  for  three,  unless  promoted  else- 
where during  the  term. 

This  short  tenure  of  office  by  the  Pashk  was  doubtless 
intended  to  operate  as  a  check  upon  ambitious  men,  who 
might  take  advantage  of  their  high  place  of  trust  in  pro- 
vinces remote  from  the  capital,  and  make  themselves 
independent  of  the  central  government,  as  had  been  fre- 
quently the  case  in  former  times. 

But  the  system  had  its  grave  disadvantages.  In  the 
majority  of  instances  it  was  notorious  that  these  officials 
procured  their  appointments  by  bribery  of  those  above 
them,  and  heavy  fees  to  be  paid.  They,  therefore,  for 
the  most  part,  came  to  their  new  post  in  a  state  of  hungry 
impoverishment,  and  it  became  an*  object  of  first  impor- 
tance tu  them  to  make  money  as  fast  as  possible  out  of 
the  province  during  the  brief  term  assigned  them ;  and 
this  necessity  repeats  itself  at  every  fresh  appointment. 

This  recovery  of  wealth  might  be  effected  in  sundry 
ways :  all  parties  were  eager  to  bid  for  the  favour  and 
advantages  belonging  to  subordinate  commissions  mider 
the  new  ruler,  and  if  the  agricultural  revenue  coming 
into  the  Constantinople  Treasury  was  but  small,  it  was 
not  because  the  fiill  amount  was  not  exacted  from  the 
peasantry,  but  because  the  tax-farmers  and  Pash&s  had 
the  first  share. 

Again  it  was  impossible  for  a  strange  Pashk,  fresh 


SHORT  TENURE  OF  OFFICE.  163 

fix)m  Turkey  and  ignorant  of  the  very  language  spoken 
in  his  territory,  to  become  a  master  of  the  affairs  there,  or 
acquainted  with  the  needs  of  the  population,  or  even  of 
their  actual  condition.  This  would  not  have  mattered  so 
much  if  any  faithful  interpreter  of  occurrences  were  at 
hand ;  but  it  was  everybody's  interest  to  deceive  the 
Pashk,  while  seeking  to  attain  his  personal  or  family  or 
faction  objects. 

Most  helpless  is  each  new  Pashk  understanding  only 
Turkish,  and  aware  that  his  removal  may  take  place 
under  local  intrigue  even  within  the  allotted  year;  for 
intrigues  proceed  from  not  only  the  Arab  Effendia,  but 
also  from  the  restless  communities  of  rival  Christians  with 
their  European  supporters. 

Even  were  such  a  Pashk  high-minded  and  disinte- 
rested, yet  how  should  he  be  able  to  cope  with  these  diffi- 
culties? but  as  the  class  of  Turks  from  among  whom 
Pashks  in  those  days  were  appointed  were  neither  high- 
minded  nor  disinterested,  it  was  some  mitigation  of  cur- 
rent evils  that  their  administration  rarely  lasted  more 
than  one  year.  Between  1846  and  1853  I  had  seen  six 
successive  Pashks  within  our  province,  of  whom  only  one 
possessed  any  of  the  qualities  that  we  should  deem  requi- 
site for  his  office. 

The  ruler  and  the  ruled  alike  regarded  the  Pashk  as  a 
mere  bird  of  passage,  too  often  a  bird  of  prey  on  its  pad- 
sage  ;  some  times  feared,  never  respected,  -and  commonly 
hoodwinked  by  each  party  in  turn,  leaving  the  un- 
remedied disorders  of  the  place  to  the  lot  of  his  equally 
short-hved  successor. 

The  poverty  of  the  Turkish  Government  was   fre- 

M  2 


164  EVILS  OF  THE  SYSTEM. 

quently  a  cause  of  difficulty  in  the  administration  of  public 
affairs. 

The  troops  were  in  arrears  of  pay  because  there  was 
no  money  in  the  Public  Treasury.  The  Government 
officials  often  were  kept  long  waiting  for  their  salary. 
Public  works,  necessary  repairs,  were  neglected  for  the 
same  reason.  Stores  and  supplies  could  not  be  laid  in  at 
'the  right  season,  or  if  laid  in,  payment  for  them  was 
deferred. 

And  yet  the  land  was  fertile — and  large  sums  were 
levied  upon  the  peasants  as  taxes. 

But  the  money  did  not  find  its  way  into  the  Treasury 
of  the  Sultan.  Bashi-Bozuk  collectors,  tax-farmers,  and 
local  or  Turkish  governors  absorbed  a  large  proportion. 

One  who  had  the  best  opportunities  for  observation 
wrote  at  that  time : — '  The  Turkish  Government  have  no 
moral  power,  the  state  of  their  army  and  finances  de- 
prive them  of  a  physical  one  in  a  country  where  passion 
prevails  over,  reason,  and  where  reUgion  and  public 
opinion,  such  as  it  is,  appear  rather  to  develope  than  to 
check  enmity  and  dissension.'  And  again  he  touches 
upon  graver  defects : — *  The  misconduct  of  the  Turkish 
authorities  who  have  been  sent  to  Syria — their  want  of 
education  and  of  talent,  their  entire  ignorance  of  public 
opinion,  would  alone  render  them  unfit  tmcontroUed  to 
govern  the  country.' 

These  words  were  written  before  the  progress  of 
events  had  raised  up  a  class  of  well-educated  Pashks. 
They  applied  with  strict  truth  to  such  men  as  were  sent  to 
govern  Jerusalem  before  the  Crimean  War.  They  were 
written  in  the  very  province  afterwards  so  ably  governed 


EDUCATED  PASHIS.     THE  MILITABY.  165 

by  Daood  PasM  (a  Christian),  whose  high  polish,  urbane 
manners,  and  varied  learning  (including  a  thorough  know- 
ledge of  the  Anglo-Saxon  language  and  literature)  so 
delighted  Tristram  when  he  visited  the  Lebanon  twenty 
years  after  the  above  words  had  been  written,  descriptive 
of  the  class  of  men  who  were  then  the  rulers  of  the  pro- 
vinces of  Turkey.^ 

Military  Force^  Regulars  and  Irregulars — Taxation, 

The  Niz&m,  or  regular  military  force  for  the  whole 
PashaJic,  consisted  of  one  battaUon  of  infantry,  generally 
deficient  in  number,  stationed  at  Jerusalem.,  and  in  those 
days  commanded  by  a  *  Bin-bashi,'  whose  rank  was  equal 
to  our  major.  We  never  had  any  regular  cavalry  or 
proper  artillery,  and  these  Niz&m  were  independent  of 
our  Pashk's  control.  The  Bin-bashi  might,  indeed,  place 
them  at  his  disposal,  on  appUcation  being  made  in  written 
fonnality,  countersigned  by  other  functionaries  of  civil 
administration,  either  for  display  at  special  times,  or  for 
menace  of  turbulent  peasantry,  but  never  for  actual  fight- 
ing— this  latter  service  would  require  express  permission 
for  each  single  occasion  from  the  '  Seri-asker,'  or  com- 
mander-in-chief at  Damascus.     How  different  from  the 

^  Besides  Tristram,  other  travellers  have  come  in  contact  with  Fashlis  of 
the  new  school,  and  Lord  Stratford  de  Redcliffe  has  added  his  testimony  to 
theirs.     He  tells  us  that  even  in  the  later  years  of  his  residence  in  Constan- 
tinople '  A  Turk  of  good  manners  who  can  talk  French,  who  has  visited 
the  chief  cities  of  Christendom  and  has  some  acquaintance  with  European 
literature,  is  no  longer,  as  in  the  last  century,  a  phoenix  or  a  Uack  swan. 
The  Ghreeks  have  ceased  to  monopolise  the  main  channel  of  communication 
between  the  Porte  and  the  foreign  ambassadors  at  Constantinople.     The 
functions  of  chief  interpreter  are  performed  by  a  Mussulman.*     (Lord  Strata 
ford  de  Redcliife  in  '  The  Nineteenth  Century,'  p.  737.) 


166         REGULARS  AND  IRREGULARS. 

old  Pashks  of  Anatolia  or  Yanina!  when  their  soldiers 
might  sing — 

Since  the  days  of  the  Prophet  the  world  never  saw 
A  chieftain  so  glorious  as ' Ali  PashiL ! 

About  half-a-dozen  men  in  Nizftm  uniform,  with  a  sub- 
altern officer,  served  the  iron  guns  upon  the  castle  walls 
for  firing  salutes.     These  men  were  our  artillery  corps. 

In  July  of  this  year  we  find  only  120  regulars  in  Jeru- 
salem, the  rest  having  gone  to  Hebron.  But  the  avail- 
able force  of  government  was  that  of  the  *  Bashi-bozuk,' 
or  '  Hawflra '  (the  latter  being  their  Arabic  designation), 
who  have  been  rightly  described  as  the  *  irregular  soldiery 
with  irregular  pay ' — horsemen  vdthout  uniform,  a  ragged 
and  disorderly  set ;  these  were  always  at  the  disposal  of 
the  Pashk,  and  mostly  employed  in  delivering  messages 
of  government  service  among  the  towns  or  villages,  or  in 
serving  writs  of  summons  to  the  Shaikhs,  or  in  collecting 
the  taxes.  They  were  stationed  at  the  leading  towns  as 
required.^  Travellers  and  artists  used  to  dehght  them- 
selves in  the  wild  and  beggarly  appearance  of  these  tat- 
terdemalions and  their  accoutrements,  making,  as  they 
did,  picturesque  subjects  for  journals  or  albums ;  and 
should  the  delineator,  verbal  or  linear,  chance  to  have 
witnessed  some  of  their  simple  evolutions,  when  acting 
together  as  a  body,  so  much  the  more  '  telling '  would 
his  descriptions  be  at  home. 

But  the  lax  and  corrupt  system  on  which  that  mili- 
tary corps  was  conducted,  although  so  much  of  govem- 

1  This  arm  of  military  service  has  heen  re-organised  of  late,  as  we  are  told, 
and  arrayed  in  uniform  by  the  Turks  under  the  name  of  Seyara  in  Arabic,  or 
something  that  is  meant  to  imitate  the  French  name  of  'gens  d'armes.' 


IRREGULARS  OR  BASHI-BOZUK.  167 

ment  action  depended  upon  it,  and  the  amount  to  which 
the  revenue  was  defrauded  through  its  own  incompetency 
to  punish  these  men,  or  even  bring  them  to  a  reckoning, 
could  not  be  perceived  by  a  casual  tourist  over  the  coim- 
try — it  could  only  be  guessed  from  their  shaggy  ap- 
pearance. 

The  Pashk  would  be  commissioned  to  engage  a  cer- 
tain number  of  Bashi-bozuk  within  his  province,  accord- 
ing to  the  exigency  of  circumstances.  The  largest  number 
that  I  have  known  on  service  was  nominally  600 ;  that 
number  was  divided  into  four  troops,  and  each  of  these 
subdivided  into  ten  companies,  but  seldom  could  more 
than  half  the  roll  be  mustered. 

The  captains  (agas)  having  purchased  their  commis- 
sions from  Damascus  or  Constantinople,  by  direct  bribery, 
would  have  to  recover  the  outlay.  But  they  were  badly 
paid,  for  almost  all  arms  of  military  service  were  far  in 
arreax  of  pay  ;  and  these  people  used  opportunities,  which 
the  NizS,m  were  without,  of  reimbursing  themselves  freely, 
either  by  violent  exactions  on  the  peasantry,  or  by  frauds 
on  the  government  accounts — the  latter  mode,  particu- 
larly in  the  way  of  diminishing  the  number  of  men  em- 
ployed, while  all  the  time  drawing  on  the  local  treasury  for 
,full  pay  and  rations,  was  very  common,  and  as  the  men 
were  scattered  about,  the  cheat  was  not  easily  detected. 

Upon  the  rare  occasions  of  the  Pashk  calling  out  the 
Bashi-bozuk  for  inspection,  or  his  summoning  them  for 
sudden  duty,  nothing  was  easier  than  for  the  captains  to 
hire  for  the  time  the  required  complement  from  those 
unemployed  men  of  dissolute  habits  of  life,  unattached 
and  loafing  about — the  Aga  knew  where  to  fimd  them. 


168  PAY  OF  THE  IRREGULARS. 

They  might  be  half-starved  lads  of  sixteen,  or  weazened 
old  men — all .  the  same  for  his  purpose ;  no  uniform  was 
required ;  any  scraggy,  ill-fed  horse  was  sufficient  for  use, 
as  well  as  any  sort  of  weapon  for  exhibition  at  a  distance, 
such  as  a  pair  of  old  pistols,  or  an  odd  one,  or  a  rusty 
musket — so  rusted  that  the  bayonet  at  the  end  of  it,  if 
there  were  one,  could  not  be  wrenched  off;  or  a  spear, 
with  its  long  broken  handle  spliced  up  with  twine.  One 
weapon  only  seemed  to  be  indispensable,  and  that  was  a 
sword,  the  curved  sabre  of  the  East. 

Supplementaries  of  this  kind  were  sometimes  unpro- 
vided at  the  moment  of  call  with  a  horse,  they  having 
since  the  last  employment  sold  it,  or  pawned  it,  or  gam- 
bled it  away.  In  such  a  case  the  Aga  would  advance  him 
one  at  tally-price,  to  be  deducted  out  of  the  pay,  miserable 
even  when  it  is  paid.  But  what  was  the  pay  of  even  the 
best  men,  of  fellows  in  good  health,  having  warm  clothes, 
a  good  horse,  and  pretty  fair  weapons  of  their  own,  for 
of  such  there  were  some  ? 

The  fiiU  salary  allowed  by  Government  was  seventy- 
y  five  piastres  per  month  (then  about  twelve  shillings  and 
sixpence),  with  fifteen  barley  loaves  a  week,  of  detestable 
quahty,  served  out  firom  Friday  to  Friday.  Out  of  this 
allowance  the  soldier  had  to  provide  his  own  horse,  with 
saddle  and  bridle,  horse-shoes,  nose-bag  and  saddle-bags ; 
but  the  government  stores  supphed  barley  for  the  horse 
(oats  are  unknown  in  the  East).  Could  the  man  subsist 
upon  this  ?  Impossible — and  he  did  not ;  yet  a  thorough 
Haw4ra  was  gluttonised  on  good  things,  but  how  was  this 
done? 

He  had  been  despatched  (usually  three  or  four  went 


THEIR  DUTIES  AND  EXACTIONS.  169 

together)  to  a  village,  with  a  government  message — ^per- 
haps a  distress  warrant,  common  enough.  On  his  arrival 
there  to  billet  himself,  the  people,  in  abject  terror,  derived 
fix)m  past  ezperience,  flee  away;  but  if  this  be  impossible, 
they  come  forward,  assist  the  gentleman  in  dismounting, 
put  his  horse  into  the  best  place  they  have,  establish  him 
in  the  best  house,  get  together  the  best  cushions  to  form  a 
divfi-n  for  his  repose,  and  in  all  haste  bring  the  very  best 
food  that  can  be  had — ^as  fowls,  sheep's-tail  (the  delicious 
leeyeh)^  and  fresh  eggs ;  also  fruits  according  to  the 
season,  as  grapes,  melons,  or  pomegranates;  and  if  the 
village  be  a  Christian  one,  or  near  to  such,  raki  spirit  is 
procured  for  him  to  drink — the  whole  party  is  treated  in 
the  same  way,  living,  according  to  the  old  English  pro- 
verb, 'at  rack  and  manger.'  The  visitors  smoke  their 
pipes,  call'  each  other  Agas,  and  the  more  days  the  mer- 
rier for  them  to  live  on  free  quarters. 

At  their  departure,  the  business  being  settled,  the 
poor  victims  cram  the  pockets  and  saddle-bags  of  the 
Aga-company  for  the  journey.  I  have  known  instances 
from  report  of  these  licensed  miscreants  arriving  at  a 
village,  fully  supplied  from  the  last  station  of  their  visita- 
tion, and  when  the  unhappy  people  presented  their  best 
delicacies,  kick  away  that  choice  pilaf,  or  the  lamb  roasted 
whole,  into  the  dust,  and  demand  in  place  of  these  a  sum 
of  money  as  its  value,  assessed  by  themselves,  and  then 
feed  upon  what  they  had  brought  in  their  saddle-bagd. 

Well  might  the  people  fear  the  approach  of  such 
messengers,  and  that  very  prestige  of  dread  which  cleared 
the  way  before  them,  was  a  weapon  of  greater  force  than 
any  display  of  military  arms  that  could  be  made.     And 


170  AG  AS  AND  THEIR  MEN 

should  the  Fashk  and  his  council  by  any  possibility  hear 
of  these  doings,  the  complaint  would  be  in  due  form 
received,  and  the  captain  asked  in  mellifluent  Turkish  if 
his  men  had  not  been  maligned  by  the  rude  fellahheen : 
he  would  then,  with  a  graceful  salute,  promise  to  enquire 
into  the  circumstances  ;  but  woe  to  the  place  from  which 
the  accusation  proceeded,  so  much  the  greater  woe  as  the 
men  who  had  been  the  ofienders  were  often  foreigners  to 
the  country — pitiless  Bosnians  or  Koords. 

These  Haw&ra  had  occasionally  other  employment 
on  hand,  such  as  escorting  European  travellers  who  pay 
and  feed  well,  besides  the  countless  ingenuities  of  extor- 
tion which  Asiatic  customs  admit  of,  among  the  natives. 
They  cared  little  for  their  officers ;  everyone  styled  his 
fellow,  and  was  called  in  return,  an  Aga,  except  in  the 
real  Aga's  presence ;  and  one  and  all  were  at  liberty  any 
day  or  at  any  hour  to  abandon  the  service — there  being 
no  stipulated  period  of  engagement,  there  could  be  no 
such  crime  as  desertion.  Their  military  training  was 
meagre  enough,  almost  limited  to  a  deploying  from  close 
to  open  order,  or  wildly  scattering  like  locusts,  then 
gathering  into  a  body  at  a  given  signal,  evolutions  capable 
certainly  of  being  turned  to  excellent  account  when  re- 
quired, which  with  us  was  never  the  case.  The  men 
had,  however,  some  amount  of  emulation  among  them  in 
the  riding  practice  of  their  peculiar  style,  and  throwing 
and  catching  the  jereed. 

I  had  almost  forgotten  to  mention  their  only  martial 
music,  namely  a  pair  of  diminutive  kettle-drums,  each 
perhaps  a  little  larger  than  an  English  breakfast  cup, 
beaten  by  short  leathern  straps,  during  which  operation 


USED  IN  COLLECTING  TAXES,  171 

the  performer  holds  the  reins  of  his  horse  between  his 
teeth ;  more  than  one  such  drummer  might  be  found  in 
each  troop,  and  this  music  gave  notice  in  advance  to  any 
village  or  town  of  their  approach ;  these  instruments  they 
call  trompeta ;  the  Arab  population  call  them  iubkh  (a 
corruption  of  the  Turkish  word  tavool^  a  drum),  but 
Europeans  unceremoniously  call  them  tom-toms^  as  if  they 
belonged  to  mere  African  savages.  The  effect,  however, 
was  wild  and  even  exciting  when  heard  from  a  distance 
among  the  hills. 

More  has  been  here  said  than  was  intended,  about  the 
Bashi-bozuk,  having  in  view  the  special  importance  of 
that  force  in  carrying  on  the  mechanism  of  government 
throughout  the  country.  Eidicule  and  opprobrious 
epithets  are  sometimes  directed  from  the  populace  to  the 
Niz4m  regulars ;  but  no  one  ventures  to  behave  saucily 
to  the  Bashi-bozuk-askeri.  The  Niz&m  are  harmless 
beyond  the  city  walls,  but  the  others  are  ubiquitous  and 
acquainted  with  the  country.^ 

Before  quitting  this  subject,  it  should  be  observed 
that  by  the  Tanzim&t  of  the  Empire  it  is  unlawful  to 
employ  military  in  the  collection  of  taxes ;  but  the  autho- 
rities interpret  the  word  military  to  mean  the  Niz&m,  and 
the  Bashi-bozuk,  when  engaged  in  this  service,  only  com- 
pel the  payment  of  arrears  by  every  and  any  means, 
hardly  short  of  violence  of  hands  or  weapons. 

Taxation  in  Palestine  was  not  burdensome  when  kept 
within  the  legal  limits,  the  principal  branch  of  which  con- 

^  And  yet  these  Bafihi-bozuk  make  excellent  soldiers  under  proper  offi- 
cer b — as  we  saw  during  the  Crimean  War,  when  a  corps  of  Bashi-bozuk 
was  placed  under  the  command  of  British  officers. 


172  TAXATION. 

sist8  in  the  Sultan's  tithe  of  produce,  and  the  military 
compensalioa  for  exemption  from  mUitaiy  service,  i.e.  the 
MAl-miri  and  the  M&l-askeri. 

These  had  been  revived  and  fixed  during  the  Egyptian 
occupation,  and  I  have  before  me  an  authenticated  copy 
of  the  registered  assessment  for  each  place  within  the 
Pashalic ;  but  the  Turks,  since  their  return,  have  never 
taken  the  trouble  to  adjust  the  assessment  to  the  shifting 
circumstances  of  the  period ;  the  consequence  has  been  an 
inequahty  of  burden  to  an  alarming  degree,  some  places 
which  had  made  considerable  advance  in  prosperity, 
during  twenty  or  twenty-five  years,  remaining  still  charged 
as  when  they  had  been  in  their  lower  condition ;  while 
others  were  highly  taxed  although  nearly  deserted  of  in- 
habitants fi*om  their  land  being  exposed  to  raids  of  wild 
Arabs,  which  was  not  the  case  under  the  strong  government 
of  the  Egyptians,  when  the  assessment  was  last  adjusted. 

There  were  minor  taxes  which  gradually  increased  in 
number,  such  as  the  '  Jeleb '  on  cattle,  and  the  '  Damga ' 
on  stamps — ^the  latter  ingeniously  applied  to  tailors  and 
shoemakers,  who  were  not  allowed  to  sell  new  waret 
without  the  articles  being  stamped  by  the  collector,  be- 
sides, of  course,  the  Customs  dues  at  the  sea-ports,  which 
were  not  excessive  ;  but  all  these  calling  for  honest  super- 
vision among  the  officials,  and  of  such  supervision  there 
was  none. 

Jerusalem  city  was  exempted fix)m  military. service,  as 
it  is  one  of  the  three  holy  cities  of  the  Mohammedans, 
and  therefore  firee  from  even  exemption  fees;  but  the 
Christians  there  conceived  themselves  Ul-used  in  being 
compelled  to  pay  substitution  for  military  service,  in  which 


DUES  AND  CUSTOMS.      JAFFA.     EXPORTS.  173 

neither  there  nor  elsewhere  were  they  allowed  to  serve 
personally.  It  was  a  poor  compensation  for  them  all 
over  the  country  to  be  delivered  from  the  odium  of  the 
capitation  military  tax  (Khar&j),  when  a  larger  amount 
was  substituted  under  another  name  for  the  same.  But, 
on  the  other  hand,  the  amount  of  this  tax  was  small,  and 
the  Cihristians  had  no  wish  whatever  to  become  soldiers. 

Certain  dues  and  Customs  duties  were  levied  at  the 
gates  of  Jerusalem,  if  they  had  not  been  already  paid  at 
the  seaport  of  Jaffa — ^for  the  port  of  Jerusalem  is  Jaffa, 
thirty-five  miles  off  by  ordinary  road. 

Jaffa  cannot,  however,  be  said  to  have  a  port,  properly 
so  called,  and  yet  a  good  deal  of  shipping  trade  id  carried 
on  there.  English  and  foreign  ships  come  there  for  grain. 
We  have  known  there  to  be,  at  one  and  the  same  time, 
three  Enghsh  vessels  and  one  Maltese  taking  in  grain — 
wheat,  millet,  and  sesam^ — ^besides  an  iron  ship  of  300 
tons  (also  English),  taking  in  com  for  Cork  and  Falmouth, 
a  Norwegian  bark  had  taken  in  corn  for  Ireland  in  the 
same  week. 

Soap  factories,  oil  stores,  and  houses  were  built,  the 
stones  being  brought  by  sea  from  the  ruins  of  ancient 
Caesarea  and  Athleet.  Olive  oil  is  also  exported,  and 
Germans,  as  well  as  other  Europeans  and  Americans,  had 
settled  there  in  order  to  carry  on  trade  and  agriculture.^ 

There  is  but  little  trade  and  no  commerce  in  Jerusa- 
lem. The  trade  is  limited  to  the  dealings  of  those  who 
supply  the  wants,  not  so  much  of  the  residents  (for  the 
Oriental  residents  have  few  absolute  wants  that  are  not 

'  Very  great  progress  has  been  made  in  every  respect  since  the  Crimean 
War,  and  the  population  has  much  more  than  doubled. 


174  MANUFACTURES.      COMMERCE.      MONEY. 

supplied  by  the  produce  of  the  district  immediately  sur- 
rounding) as  of  the  Christian  pilgrims  and  of  the  Euro- 
pean settlers.  European  goods  are  brought  into  the  city 
in  quantities  yearly  on  the  increase. 

The  only  manufacture  in  Jerusalem  is  that  of  soap, 
for  which  the  olive  oil  and  the  alkali,  both  native  pro- 
ducts, supply  the  materials.  The  soap  is  imported  chiefly 
to  Egypt 

But  although  Jerusalem  is  not  a  commercial  empo- 
rium, a  prodigious  amount  of  money  is  annually  poured 
into  the  city  from  Europe.  None  however  goes  out, 
except,  of  course,  to  the  Turkish  treasury,  and  the  com- 
paratively small  amount  needed  for  trade.  The  larger 
proportion  of  the  money  which  arrives  is  poured  by  the 
pilgrims  into  the  treasuries  of  tJie  great  Christian  Con- 
vents, where  it  remains. 

The  coins  of  all  nations  were,  and  still  are,  current 
in  Jerusalem.  This  was  partly  owing  to  the  fact  that 
pilgrims  of  all  nations  brought  with  them  sums  of  greater 
or  less  amount  in  ready  cash — the  fruits  of  their  lifelong 
savings  for  the  purposes  of  the  pilgrimage.  Moreover,  as 
there  were  at  that  time  no  banks  and  no  commerce,  pro- 
perly so  called,  remittances  were  generally  made  to  the 
Convents,  to  the  Government,  and  to  Europeans,  in 
specie. 

The  various  coins  had  a  fluctuating  value,  different  at 
one  time  from  another,  and  all  and  each  different  in  the 
different  towns  and  villages.  In  Jerusalem  there  was  the 
government  value,  generally  depreciated  by  proclamation 
about  the  time  when  public  taxes  were  leviable.  There 
was  also  the  merchant  or  trader's  value,  and  the  value 


LAW  COURTS.  175 

current  in  the  markets.  Besides  this  there  were  differ- 
ences to  be  allowed  for  on  account  of  light  weight  and 
other  causes.  Great  confusion  and  loss  was  occasioned 
by  all  these  sources  of  perplexity  in  money  transactions 
and  in  the  daily  dealings  of  life. 

Law  Courts  and  the  Administration  of  Justice, 

We  now  proceed  to  the  administration  of  justice  in 
the  Courts  of  Law. 

Every  town  has  its  judge,  a  native  of  the  country 
(except  at  Jerusalem),  who  decides  causes  on  the  principles 
of  the  Kor&n  and  its  Conunentaries,  as  far  as  he  is 
acquainted  with  them.  These  minor  judges  are  appointed 
by  the  K&di  of  the  next  capital  city,  who  is  himself  com- 
missioned by  purchase  from  Constantinople  for  a  term 
of  three  years,  the  scale  of  purchase  rising  from  that  of 
the  lowest  appointment  up  to  the  highest,  which  is 
Baghdad,  and  Jerusalem  stands  rather  high  upon  the 
ladder. 

The  K&di's  court  is  called  the  *  Makhkameh,'  and  the 
judge  receives  a  fee  of  three  per  cent,  upon  the  value  of 
suits  decided,  to  be  paid  by  the  gainer  in  the  cause. 
Now-a-days,  however,  the  KMis  complain  of  their  fees 
falling  off  considerably,  on  account  of  the  modem  institu- 
tion of  Municipal  Courts,  called  the  *  Mejhs,'  and  even  of 
the  Consular  Courts,  into  which  mixed  cases  are  often 

9 

carried.  Yet  matters  of  Moslem  religion,  and  of  inherit- 
ance, or  of  fixed  property,  must  necessarily  go  to  the 
Makhkameh. 

These  K&dis  and  their  courts  are  notorious,  and 
always  have  been  so  (see  *  Arabian  Nights 'jpas^nw,  and 


176        THE  kAdi.  the  muftl 

elsewhere),  for  the  prevalence  of  bribery,  jealousy,  &- 
vouritism,  interested  intercession,  etc. 

'  The  suborning  of  false  testimony  firom  men  waiting 
at  the  door  for  employment  in  perjury,  for  even  a  trifling 
pay,  Ls  a  matter  of  frequent  occurrence ;  and  the  failings 
of  the  Klldi  give  a  zest  to  social  conversation,  or  to  poems 
or  narrations  at  the  cofiee-houses :  so  much  so  that  amopg 
Christians  who  occasionally  get  pork  to  eat^  the  pig's 
head,  when  brought  to  table,  is  in  mockery  designated 
the  'KMi's  head.'  No  wonder  then  that  the  natives 
repair  rather  to  the  local  Mejlis,  with  all  its  imperfec- 
tions, which  are  many,  or,  when  the  case  admits  of  it, 
to  a  European  Consul. 

Besides  the  K&di  there  is  a  more  permanent  functionary 
of  Mohammedan  law,  entirely  independent  of  the  judge, 
>,  called  the  Mufti.  He  has  no  court,  but  is  rather  a  con- 
sultative judge  at  home.  He  is  often  a  native  of  the 
place,  and  appointed  in  Constantinople  at  the  Gover- 
nor's recommendation.  Individuals  may  have  recourse 
to  him,  and  even  the  K&di  will,  in  dubious  matters,  send 
to  him  a  slip  of  paper  from  the  tribunal.  In  every  case 
of  consultation,  merely  the  abstract  law  is  asked  for, 
without  mention  of  the  parties  concerned — fictitious 
names  being  used  in  describing  the  case  (generally  Zaid 
and  'Omar),  a  practice  somewhat  analogous  to  our  writs 
formerly  issued  in  the  name  of  John  Doe  and  Eichard 
Doe,  or  as  the  Jews  in  business  take  the  names  of 
Eeuben  and  Simeon,  in  accordance  with  Genesis  xlviii.  5. 

The  Mufti's  reply  is  the  *  Fetwa,'  for  which  he  charges 
no  stated  fee,  but  accepts  a  present  instead — indeed,  no 
proportionate  fee  could  be  assigned  to  a  cause  unknovm. 


WITNESSES.      CHRISTIAN  EVIDENCE.  177 

One  of  the  Muftis  lived  in  Jerusalem  many  years,  and  he 
was  a  just,  upright  man. 

These  are  the  Mohammedan  forms  of  legal  procedure. 
The  principle  of  a  jury  is  unknown  to  their  law. 

Christian  evidence  could  not  be  received  in  the  Mos- 
lem Courts,  presided  over  by  the  K&di.  That  court  was 
theoretically  a  Court  of  Equity,  governed  by  Divine 
Authority,  from  whom  the  Koran  laws  there  administered 
had  emanated. 

In  order  to  preserve  the  purity  of  the  evidence  admis- 
sible, it  was  necessary  that  '  unbeUevers,'  who  must  of 
necessity,  according  to  this  theory,  be  untrustworthy  wit- 
nesses, should  be  incapable  of  giving  legal  evidence. 
Hence  the  exclusion  of  Christian  evidence.  However 
plausible  this  theory,  the  injustice  to  non-Moslems  was 
manifest.  It  was  impossible,  in  many  cases,  for  Christians 
to  find  two  Moslem  witnesses,  and  in  practice  Moslem 
witnesses  were  found  hostile  to  Christians.  How  then 
was  justice  to  be  obtained  for  Christians  and  non-Moslems? 
Let  those  who  can  imderstand  what  it  would  cost  a  sincere 
son  of  the  Church  of  Eome  to  acknowledge  any  modifica- 
tion of  the  authority  of  the  Pope  as  Vicar  of  Christ,  or  a 
simple  devout  Eussian  to  suppose  that  any  power,  sacred 
or  profane,  could  be  competent  to  dispute  the  will  of  the 
Autocrat  who  is  to  him  God's  earthly  vicegerent — let 
such  a  one  estimate  the  difficulty  of  getting  a  zealous  and 
fanatic  Moslem  in  Jerusalem — ^the  Holy  City,  next  after 
Mecca  and  Medina — to  conceive  of  any  authority  or 
power,  material  or  moral,  which  ought  to  supersede  the 
religious  authority  of  the  K&di,  or  judge  appointed  by  the 
Moslem  Supreme  Euler  at  Constantinople,  so  long  as  that 

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EJL'  LEGAL  REFORMS.  179 

C:J"  behalf  of  their  clients.  These  various  Courts  were  estab- 
lished by  degrees  and  in  conformity  with  the  new  laws, 
promulgated  from  time  to  time,  and  at  length  collected  into 
a  Code  of  Secular  as  distinguished  from  Sacred  (Kor&n) 
Jurisprudence. 

Considerable  reforms,  particularly  in  the  moral  cha- 
racter of  the  general  population  and  the  upper  classes, 
must  yet  take  place  before  these  Courts  can  in  any  way  be 
assimilated  to  Christian  Courts  in  Europe.  It  will  be  neces- 
sary for  even  the  native  Christian  members  themselves  to 
act  up  to  the  privileges  of  their  office,  and  not  suffer  them- 
selves to  be  bullied  down  into  consent  of  unrighteous 
verdicts  at  the  dictation  of  the  Moslem  members,  as  they 
still  are.  The  proportion  of  Christians  and  Jews  in  each 
MejUs  is  but  small.  ^ 

^  LoTd  Stratford  de  Redcliffe  makes  the  following  statements  on  the 
legal  reforms  in  Turkey : — 

'  The  Kor&n  is  far  from  being  that  inelastic  code  of  laws  which  many 
suppose.  It  has  long  ceased  to  be  an  exact  mirror  of  Islamism  as  practised 
by  the  Ottoman  authorities.  The  difierence  which  has  perceptibly  grown  up 
between  the  letter  and  the  practice  of  the  law  is  not  merely  one  of  suspension, 
such  as  the  disuse  of  hostilities  for  the  propagation  of  the  &ith,  but  positively 
active,  as  in  the  case  of  treaties  and  alliances  with  Ohristian  powers.  This 
primary  departure  from  the  system  of  policy  prescribed  by  Islamism  dates 
from  the  sixteenth  century.  Solyman  the  Magnificent,  and  Francis  I.,  of 
France,  first  set  the  example  of  an  alliance  between  the  sovereign  of  the 
Turks  and  a  Ohristian  Power.  The  act  was  founded  on  mutual  convenience 
suggested  by  their  respective  international  positions  at  the  time.  It  led  to 
the  establishment  of  similar  relations  between  the  Porte  and  other  European 
powers,  to  th^  reception  of  Consuls  in  the  out  ports  of  Turkey,  and  to  the 
exercise  of  jurisdiction  by  them  over  their  own  fellow-subjects.  It  was  the 
first  link  in  a  series  of  conceesions  which  may  furly  be  called  extrchKaranic, 
and  which  were  gradually  made  to  the  necessity  more  and  more  felt  by  the 
Porte  of  obtaining  a  less  isolated  position  as  to  the  States  of  Ohristendom.' 
(Lord  Stratford  de  Redcliffe  in  the  '  Nineteenth  Century,*  p.  730.) 

'  The  process  of  reform,  skilfully  introduced,  was  fostered  by  the  same 
able  statesman.  One  measure  after  another  was  brought  forward  and  adopted 
till  the  proclamation  of  Gvdhanif  and  the  introduction  of  extensive  refornm 

n3 


180  IMPERIAL  PROCLAMATIONS. 

In  continuation  of  this  subject  it  should  be  mentioned 
that  a  close  corporation  of  Arab  families,  not  recognised  by 
law,  but  influential  by  position,  usurped  all  the  municipal 
offices  among  them.     These  men  were  mostly  descended 

under  the  name  of  T<mdmat^H€ttriehy  gave  a  solemn  and  imposing  earnest  of 
Mahmoud's  sincerity.  They  hud  the  foundations  of  a  real  improvement  in 
the  Turkish  administrative  system,  and  more  especially  in  the  treatment  of 
rayahs,  non-Mussulman  subjects  bound  to  pay  a  yearly  poll-tax  to  the  Grand 
S^gnior.  Further  and  more  decided  measures  of  reform  were  subsequentiy 
adopted.  Those  of  a  judicial  character  were  not  the  least  important.  A 
court  was  established  for  the  trial  of  civil  causes  between  the  Porte's  subjects 
and  foreigners.  It  was  a  mixed  tribunal,  taking  cognisance  more  particularly 
of  differences  arising  in  trade  and  navigation.  Its  maxims  of  law  and  rules 
of  procedure  were  derived  from  Christian  sources.  Our  leading  principles 
and  forms  of  trial,  exclusive  of  juries,  were  even  admitted  by  firman  in  some 
of  the  criminal  courts :  and  at  Constantinople,  in  the  highest  of  those  courts 
where  Mohammedan  law  prevailed,  our  Consul-general  was  allowed  to  sit 
with  the  power  of  watching  the  proceedings,  and  staying  for  his  assent  the 
execution  of  judgment  on  behalf  of  British  subjects  brought  to  trial  on 
capital  charges. 

'To  these  beneficial  innovations  are  to  be  added  the  estabUshment  of 
lazarettos  for  quarantine  against  plague  and  cholera ;  the  suppression  of  the 
negro  slave  trade,  with  a  view  to  that  of  slavery ;  the  abolition  of  torture 
and  of  capital  punishment  in  cases  of  conversion  Ax)m  Islamism ;  and  the 
recognition  of  Protestantism  as  one  of  the  protected  and  established  religions 
of  Turkey. 

'During  the  Crimean  war  a  notable  enlargement  took  place  in  other 
branches  of  social  progress,  inconsistent  more  or  less  with  the  restrictions  of 

Mussulman  law,  but  required  by  the  necesdties  of  the  Empire On 

the  cessation  of  hostilities,  all  previous  reforms,  together  with  important 
additions,  were  confirmed  and  declared  by  an  Imperial  proclamation  known 
as  Hatt-y-homayoon,  solenmly  promulgated,  and  inserted,  as  a  fact,  in  the 
general  treaty  of  peace.  Among  its  new  provisions  were  two  in  particular 
characterised  by  a  liberality  which  it  would  not  be  easy  to  surpass.  By  one 
the  faculty  of  holding  land  in  fee  throughout  Turkey  was  granted  to  foreign 
subjects,  with  a  reserve  of  some  preliminary  arrangements.  By  the  other 
both  natives  and  foreigners  were  allowed  full  liberty  of  conscience  in 
religious  matters.  These  are  facts,  and  we  are  bound  to  give  them  our 
candid  and  serious  attention.  They  remove  a  part  of  the  difficulty  which 
Islamism  opposes  in  theory  to  the  reformation  of  the  Turkish  Empire  on 
European  principles.  They  encourage  a  hope  that  the  remaining  obstacles 
may  be  gradually  surmoimted.'  (Lord  Stratford  de  Kedcliffe, '  Nineteenth 
Century,'  p.  731.) 


THE  EFPENDIS.  181 

from  the  original  conquerors  of  the  country  in  our 
seventh  century.  Some  of  them  hold  hereditary  posts 
conferred  on  their  famiUes  by  the  Caliph  'Omar,  such  as 
Mohammed  Danef  in  the  Hharam,  Mohammed  Durweesh 
at  the  Sepulchre  of  David,  and  another  at  the  gate  of 
the  Church  of  the  Holy  Sepulchre.  Then  there  are  the 
Khflldi,  the  Wafe  (besides  other  descents  of  lesser  note, 
as  the  'Assali),  all  enjoying  the  title  of  Effendi  (a  Turkish 
designation),  or  in  their  own  phraseology  *  'Ay&n,'  i.e. 
auxiliaries.     These  form  the  aristocracy  of  Jerusalem. 

Most  of  these  families  have  territorial  property  at- 
tached to  their  duties,  by  virtue  of  which  they  hold  cer- 
tain villages  or  groups  of  viUages  in  a  species  of  serfdom, 
in  return  for  correlative  benefits  enjoyed  by  the  peasants 
by  the  advocacy  of  those  Effendis  in  the  civic  Councils. 
From  such  sources  the  Effendis  derive  annual  supplies  for 
the  house,  in  grain,  firuit,  fowls,  lambs,  butter,  and  oil. 

But  immensely  fortimate  are  those  of  the  inner  circle, 
who  from  long  usage,  or  from  peculiar  talents,  have 
become  the  recognised  advocates  for  the  greater  Christian 
convents,  since  the  fees  thus  derived  are  liberal  in  the 
extreme. 

The  families  of  this  permanent  class  intermarry  ex- 
clusively with  each  other,  and  must  be  carefully  dis- 
tinguished by  us  from  the  few  transient  Turkish  officials, 
who  form  technically  *  the  government,'  so  transient  that 
they  often  leave  their  families  in  Constantinople,  jand  are 
helpless  in  effective  administration  against  or  without  the 
local  knowledge  and  corporate  union  of  these  Arab 
'Ayftn,  of  whom  indeed  several  Pashks  have  had  to  stand 
iu  awe. 


182  BETH  DIN.     PBOSECUTIONS. 

The  native  Jewish  community  is  allowed  the  privilege 
of  holding*  its  own  '  House  of  Judgment '  (Beth  Din)  in 
civil  and  religious  matters;  and  their  principal  Kabbi  is 
generally  a  recognised  official,  as  its  Chief  Judge,  in  con- 
sideration of  a  large  fee  at  the  Porte,  when  the  funds  of 
his  community  can  aflford  it.  This  Court  is  permitted 
within  certain  limits  to  carry  out  its  own  verdicts.  But 
European  Jews  are  regai-ded,  for  all  law  purposes,  as 
Europeans,  without  reference  to  reUgion. 

Much  that  seemed  to  us  Europeans  anomalous  in  the 
government  of  the  country,  arose  from  inveterate  and 
traditional  ideas  peculiar  to  the  East. 

For  instance,  the  absence  of  feeling  that  a  thief 
ought  to  be  punished  for  the  crime  of  stealing  (as  against 
the  Commonwealth),  beyond  the  restitution  of  the  pro- 
perty stolen  (with  addition,  by  way  of  fine,  if  the  case  is 
decided  in  the  village  according  to  Agrarian  Law). 

When  appeal  was  made  to  a  Turl^sh  tribunal  by  an 
European  through  his  Consul,  the  offender  was  denounced, 
and  after  a  time,  more  or  less,  apprehended.  The 
Council  (after  hearing)  declared  him  guilty.  After  long 
delay,  and  repayment  of  value — often  by  instalments — ^he 
was  released,  and  the  authorities  bragged  of  their  effectual 
punishment  of  the  offence. 

And  yet  this  course  of  procedure  had  a  deterrent 
effect:  the  persistence  of  Europeans  in  carrying  on  a 
cause  has  always  a  good  moral  effect.  The  criminal,  on 
the  other  hand,  had  not  only  the  punishment  of  detention 
in  prison  till  restitution  was  made,  but  found  to  his  cost 
that  some  bribe  {or fee)  had  to  be  paid  to  every  Government 


WEAK  ADMINISTBATION.  183 

official,  down  to  the  lowest  policeman,  before  he  could 
hope  to  be  free. 

The  loss  of  hberty  was  bad;  the  loss  of  money, 
generally  from  some  ill-gotten  hoard,  was  far  worse ; 
and  he  who  had  been  subjected  to  these  took  care  how 
he  risked  exposing  himself  to  such  misfortunes  in  the 
future-  Theft  is,  however,  thus  as  a  moral  [iniquity 
slurred  over,  in  the  same  manner  as  murder,  which  is 
regarded  as  a  private  personal  offence,  to  be  atoned  for 
by  a  pecuniary  satisfaction  to  the  relatives  (unless  they 
claim  satisfaction  by  blood).  Murder  is  thus  not  treated 
as  a  state  offence :  it  is  no  injury  to  the  public  welfare. 

There  was  once  a  case  of  burglary  and  murder  in 
the  village  of  Lifta ;  the  criminals  were  brought  to  trial, 
and  upon  the  clearest  evidence  convicted :  no  doubt 
remained  upon  the  subject.  But  the  Pashk  kept  them 
chained  in  the  seragUo,  without  further  punishment,  of 
either  capital  execution  or  banishment  to  the  public 
works.  What  was  the  reason  of  the  delay  ?  *  Because,' 
said  his  Excellency,  *  if  I  get  rid  of  them  we  shall  never 
discover  .where  they  have  hid  the  money  that  was  stolen.' 
And  the  Pasha  was  acting  in  accordance  with  public 
opinion ! 

Another  source  of  weakness  in  the  Turkish  adminis- 
tration of  government  lay  in  the  apparent  justice,  based 
on  Moslem  principles,  of  awarding  no  punishment  to 
anybody  unless  an  individual  were  accused,  and  proved 
to  be  guilty.     This  was  of  recent  introduction. 

Under  former  r^imes,  strictly  in  accordance  with 
the  principles  of  justice  as  understood  by  the  population, 
a  highway  robbery  would  be  visited  upon  the  nearest 


184  DISADVANTAGES  AND  ADVANTAGES. 

village,  or  on  the  district  which  was  held  to  be  actually 
responsible  for  the  safety  of  its  own  neighbourhood,  and 
for  the  good  conduct  of  its  own  people,  after  the  fashion 
of  dealing  with  the  old  Saxon  '  Hundreds.'  Now  that  is 
all  changed,  no  amercement  of  the  kind  is  made ;  the 
Turks  are  too  indolent  to  make  research,  but  tell  the 
complainant, '  You  find  the  offender,  and  bring  him  to  us, 
and  see  how  we  will  punish  him/ 

In  fact  it  is  no  novelty  to  observe  that  good  laws  of 
one  state  of  society,  in  one  country,  are  liable  to  be 
productive  of  positive  evil  in  a  different  condition  of 
circumstances  and  morals. 

Where  sound  morality  of  conscience  in  the  people, 
with  vigilant  and  honomrable  administration  of  law 
among  the  rulers,  are  to  be  found,  there  a  strictly  per- 
sonal responsibility  is  just  and  fair. 

But  where  the  country  is  half  a  wilderness,  the 
people  set  up  in  factions  or  reUgions  adverse  to  each 
other,  the  government  timid,  and  perjury  common  as 
daily  food,  a  long  process  of  preparation  had  to  be 
carried  on  before  the  system  of  European  jurisprudence 
could  be  fully  adapted  to  the  country. 

Yet  with  all  their  incompleteness,  it  must  be  said  that 
the  regulations  from  Constantinople  are  a  blessing  to  the 
inhabitants.  They  are  far  better  now  than  the  original 
laws  of  the  Twelve  Tables  were  to  the  Eomans  ;  yet  the 
Komans  are  regarded  as  the  great  nation  of  antiquity 
characterised  by  the  practice  of  jurisprudence. 

Palestine  and  Turkey  in  general  are  far  advanced 
above  the  horribly  lawless  condition  of  government  not 
yet  effaced  from  the  memory  of  the  existing  people. 


BENEFITS  OF  CONStLAft  VIGILANCE.  185 

EDITOR'S  POSTSCRIPT  TO  CHAPTER  Vn. 

Strange  as  it  may  sound  to  European  ears,  it  is  never- 
theless true,  that  the  laws  under  which  Palestine  (and 
Turkey  generally)  was  governed,  are  in  themselves  ex- 
cellent. They  are  based  upon  the  principles  of  justice 
and  of  humanity — justice  for  true  beUevers  more  particu- 
larly— ^humanity  for  all. 

But  the  difficulty  was  to  get  them  justly  administered. 
This,  however,  could  be  done,  and  was  done  whenever 
Europeans  were  concerned. 

K  the  Consul  had  taken  the  trouble  to  master  and 
understand  the  laws  and  usages  of  town  and  country  ;  if 
he  was  vigilant,  industrious,  and  firm ;  if  he  was  known 
to  be  impartially  supported  by  his  own  government  supe- 
riors, in  Turkey  and  in  London,  the  native  and  Turkish 
authorities  uniformly  attached  weight  to  his  representa- 
tions. 

They  always  attended  to  a  man  who  knew  how  to 
persevere  quietly  and  patiently  without  loss  of  temper. 
When  once  they  understood  that  applications  and  repre- 
sentations would  not  cease  to  be  made  till  justice  was 
done,  that  there  was  no  such  thing  as  wearying  out  the 
Consul,  or  throwing  dust  in  his  eyes  as  to  law  or  fact,  they 
gave  way,  and  thus  it  came  to  pass  that,  a  reputation  for 
steadfast  perseverance  being  once  established,  the  autho- 
rities found  out  and  learned  that  it  saved  them  trouble 
to  attend  to  the  Consul  at  first  instead  of  at  last ;  and 
then  they  made  up  their  minds  that  it  was  in  reality 
easier  to  give  prompt  redress,  than  to  be  harassed  by 
pertinacious,  though  respectful,  importunity. 

This  process  being  continued  and  kept  up  year  after 


186  CHECK  ON  UNJUST  RULEBS. 

year,  a  certain  prestige  grew  up  around  the  British  Con- 
sulate, and  successive  Fash^is  came  to  understand  that  the 
simplest  and  best  plan  was  to  attend  to  business  at  once, 
to  do  it  well,  and  thus  to  secure  peace  and  comfort  for 
themselves. 

The  Orientals  used  to  say  that  there  was  nothing  that 
so  wrought  upon  them  as  the  total  absence  of  bully  and 
bluster — the  quiet,  patient  firmness  they  could  not  with- 
stand. 

As  for  the  Fashks  and  their  treatment  of  the  subjects 
of  the  Sultan,  both  Moslem  and  Christian,  there  was 
another  check  to  which  they  had  never  before  been 
subjected.  Pubhc  opinion  there  was  and  could  be  none 
in  an  Oriental  coimtry  without  newspapers,  public  meet- 
ings, or  communication  with  the  outer  world,  hitherto 
governed  by  despotic  power,  even  though  greatly  modi- 
fied as  in  Palestine  by  the  weight  allowed,  for  the  sake  of 
convenience,  to  native  chiefs  of  districts,  clans,  or  tribes, 
who  were  de  facto  the  governors  under  the  Turkish 
Pashk,  in  the  country  ;  and  to  the  chiefs  of  the  rehgious 
communities  in  the  towns,  who  were  left  to  govern  and 
be  responsible  for — their  several  and  respective  com- 
munities. 

But  when  Europeans,  enjoying  treaty  rights  and  im- 
munities, settled  among  them,  it  was  found  that  a  check 
forming  an  excellent  substitute  for  pubUc  opinion  coidd 
be  brought  to  bear,  and  that  it  was  brought  to  bear  with 
more  and  more  stringency  and  efiect. 

The  appUcation  of  this  check  grew  up  by  degrees 
and  by  the  force  of  circumstances.  Tiu^kish  oflicials 
discovered  that  any  misconduct  of  theirs,  any  breach  of 


TRAINING  FOR  CORRUPT  OFFICIALS.  187 

the  laws,  any  infringement  on  their  part  of  '  the  benevo- 
lent and  humane  intentions'  of  his  Majesty  the  Sultan, 
were  reported  at  head-quarters  in  a  dry  matter-of-fact 
way,  as  a  matter  of  business  routine,  by  people  part 
of  whose  business  it  was  to  sit  and  take  note  of  daily 
occurrences.  And  these  were  people  who  could  be 
neither  bribed  nor  bullied,  nor  worried  into  silence. 

It  was  not  till  after  the  Crimean  war  that  Pashks 
found  out  that  revenge  could  after  all  be  wreaked 
against  Englishmen  who  saw  too  much,  and  reported 
too  much  of  the  truth ;  and  that  the  old,  old  tactics 
of  playing  off  one  against  the  other  could  be  successfully 
practised,  even  in  this  matter,  by  anyone  daring  and 
audacious  enough  to  avail  himself  skilfully  of  opportuni- 
ties and  instruments. 

It  had  been  foreseen  that  the  greatest  of  all  diffi- 
culties in  the  way  of  getting  the  Sultan's  reforms  carried 
out  would  be  in  the  executive — ^that  unless  some 
method  could  be  devised  for  inducing  corrupt  officials 
to  carry  out  the  new  reforms  granted  by  the  Sultan,  at 
the  instance  of  our  Ambassador,  Lord  Stratford  de  Eed- 
cliffe,  they  would  and  must  remain  a  dead  letter ;  for 
laws  must  remain  a  dead  letter  if  there  be  none  who 
claim  their  enforcement. 

The  non-Moslem  natives  were  not  in  a  position  to  do 
so.  Mutual  jealousies  among  the  various  churches  of  the 
Christians  prevented  their  acting  with  any  chance  of  suc- 
cess, either  together  or  independently.  They  rather,  in 
their  blind  folly,  brought  Moslem  and  Turkish  pressure  to 
l^ar  upon  all  whom  they  considered  rivals,  or  desired  to 
keep  in  subjection. 


188  EFJIOIENT  MACHINERY  READY. 

Again,  the  timidity  and  slavish  weakness  which  had 
resulted  fix)m  long  ages  of  servitude  and  bondage  had 
deprived  the  Christians  as  well  as  the  Jews  (and  this  not 
only  in  the  more  remote  places)  of  all  idea  of  betteriing 
their  condition  by  any  effort  of  their  own. 

The  scene  at  Acre  when  the  word  Ghiaour  was  ap- 
pUed  to  a  Christian  in  the  presence  of  the  Pashk,  and 
no  Christian  or  Jew  present  so  much  as  thought  of 
remonstrating  against  this  breach  of  law,  will  serve  to 
illustrate  how  the  very  people  who  were  to  be  benefited 
by  the  laws  of  toleration  were  too  ignorant  to  understand 
the  boon  conferred  upon  them,  too  timid  to  make  the 
slightest  appeal  to  what  had  been  done  in  their  behalf. 

The  ruler  and  the  ruled  alike  needed  to  be  trained  in 
the  path  wherein  they  should  go,  and  this  could  only  be  a 
gradual  process,  carried  on  with  patience  and  moderation. 

The  promoter  of  the  reforms  had,  however,  ready  to 
his  hand  the  machinery  by  which  this  process  could  be 
.  effected,  provided  only  that  jealousies  and  intrigues  were 
not  fomented  by  people  who  had  no  intention  of  them- 
selves encouraging  any  reforms — who  had  no  wish  to  see 
civil  and  religious  liberty  for  all  creeds  alike  grow  up 
within  the  Turkish  Empire — ^liberty  that  would  gradually, 
from  within  and  in  a  peaceful  manner,  evoke  forces 
capable  of  quickening  ancient  nations  and  churches  into 
a  new  Ufe  and  an  irresistible  activity,  which  could  only 
result  in  their  complete  emancipation  from  thraldom,  by 
whomsoever  imposed,  and  from  tyranny,  whether  exer- 
cised in  the  name  of  Mohammedanism  or  Christianity. 

Between  the  promulgation  of  the  Edict  of  Gul-Hane 
in  1838,  and  the  end  of  the  Crimean  war,  the  British 


BRITISH  CONSULS  ON  THE  WATCH.  189 

Consular  service  within  the  Turkish  Empire  had  been 
greatly  strengthened. 

All  British  Consuls  and  Vice-Consuls  were  officially 
informed  of  the  various  measures  for  reforming  the  ad- 
ministration of  justice,  and  for  securing  civil  and  religious 
liberty  among  all  classes  of  his  Majesty  the  Sultan's  sub- 
jects. They  were  directed  to  be  observant  as  to  the 
working  of  the  new  system,  and  to  keep  the  British  Am- 
bassador and  our  own  Government  fully  informed  on  all 
points  connected  with  the  same. 

While  abstaining  from  interference  between  the  Turk- 
ish officials  and  the  subjects  of  the  Sultan,  they  were  to 
note  events  as  they  occurred,  to  take  time  and  trouble 
in  quietly  ascertaining  the  truth  of  each  individual  case 
in  which  injustice  was  alleged  to  have  been  done. 

Having  done  this,  they  were  to  report  fully  to  ' 
their  own  superiors,  and  i£  the  case  were  m-gent,  they 
were  instructed  to  visit  the  Governor  or  Pashk  pri- 
vately (for  of  course  it  was  a  part  of  the  duty  of  Consuls, 
while  carefully  maintaining  their  own  rank  and  independ- 
ence, to  be  on  cordial  terms  with  the  representatives 
of  the  Turkish  Government,  and  to  uphold  their 
authority  and  dignity  in  every  way).  In  the  course 
of  the  private  visit  they  were  to  mention  to  his  Excel- 
lency that  such  and  such  facts  had  come  to  their 
knowledge,  and  remind  them  that  his  Majesty  the  Sultan 
in  his  benevolence  desired  perfect  justice  for  all  his  sub- 
jects, that  it  would  grieve  him  to  hear  of  any  case  in 
which  even  the  meanest  had  suffered  wrong,  etc.,  etc. 

Possibly  the  Pashas  might  not    heed   so  gentle   an 


190  BRITISH  CONSULS  REPORT  ABUSES. 

appeal — especially  if  a  sum  of  money  was  at  the  mo- 
ment in  his  purse  or  bureau,  or  known  to  be  on  the  point 
of  finding  its  way  thither — expressly  for  the  purpose  of 
securing  his  action  respecting  the  case  then  pending,  in 
a  sense  neither  just  nor  humane. 

A  very  few  months,  however,  served  to  show  his 
mistake  to  a  Pashk  who  might  have  yielded  to  the  seduc- 
tive influences  of  the  proffered  bribe,  and  strayed  into 
the  too  well  known  paths  of  oppression  of  the  innocent. 

The  Consul  had  said  but  little  to  him,  it  is  true,  and  that 
little  in  the  gentle  tones  of  one  who  had  no  authority  to 
do  more  than  speak  of  things  that  were  beyond  his  pro- 
vince to  remedy. 

But  after  a  few  weeks  had  come  and  gone,  and 
by  the  time  that  the  case,  with  all  the  Consul's  quiet 
words,  had  been  pretty  well  forgotten,  the  arrival 
of  the  Turkish  post  from  C9nstantinople  would  bring  a 
letter,  written  in  the  phraseology  of  command,  and  calling 
for  explanations  and  detaQs  and  proofs,  and  the  Pashk 
found  that  liis  own  Government  were  in  possession  of  far 
more  knowledge  of  the  case  in  question  than  himself  or 
his  secretaries,  in  their  ignorance  of  the  country,  and  the 
people,  and  the  language.  How  could  a  Tiu-kish  Pashk  in 
those  days  become  acquainted  with  any  of  them  all  during 
his  brief  tenure  of  office  ? 

The  poor  Pashk  found  that  when  the  Consul  had 
ceased  to  talk  to  him,  he  had  gone  home  and  had 
written  to  Lord  Stratford  de  Eedcliffe  (and  if  it  were 
a  serious  case,  to  London  also,  where  Lord  Palmerston 
dwelt),  and  that  a  Eeport  had  been  handed  to  the 
Grand  Vissier,  and   that  his  august  master,  the  Sultan, 


THE  PASEXB  version.  191 

had  been  angered  by  the  information  that  one  of  his 
Pashks  should  have  presumed  to  render  null,  by  his 
'  neglect/  the  benevolent  intentions  of  the  Sovereign  even 
to  the  meanest  of  his  subjects. 

But  Pashks  who  had  lived  a  lifetime  in  ignorance  of 
the  first  principles  of  liberty,  and  who  were  some  of  them 
fanatics  of  the  old  school,  could  not  be  expected  to  profit 
by  the  first  lesson  or  two.  Indeed  some  of  them  (in 
those  days  before  schools  and  colleges  had  sprung  up  in 
the  Turkish  Empire)  were  so  ignorant  that  they  could 
not  read  their  despatches  from  Constantinople  for  them- 
selves, but  were  dependent  upon  secretaries,  who  read 
them  for  them,  and  wrote  the  replies.  Now  a  secretary 
might  be  afraid  or  unwilling  to  tell  his  master  aQ  that 
was  in  the  dispatch  from  Constantinople.  He  might  be 
*  retained  on  the  other  side,'  and  trust  to  his  own  inge- 
nuity, and  perhaps  to  the  help  of  others,  also  ^  on  the 
other  side,'  for  some  way  of  throwing  dust  into  the  eyes 
of  the  powers  at  Constantinople,  and  the  Pashk,  his  mas- 
ter,  refreshed  by  further  '  presents,'  might  acquiesce  in 
the  preparation  of  a  reply  to  Constantinople,  giving  a 
wholly  different  version  of  the  case  in  question. 

But  alas !  the  silent  reporter  at  the  Consulate  was  also 
at  work,  and  the  same  post  carried  both  letters — those  of 
the  Consul  with  those  of  the  Pashk — at  the  same  time,  or 
rather  by  the  same  steamer,  for  the  Consul  made  sure 
that  his  dispatches  should  be  neither  tampered  with  nor 
delayed  in  the  transmission  by  employing  his  own  mounted 
kaww&s  as  postman  to  the  seaport  town,  and  by  entrusting 
even  to  him  no  dispatches  but  those  that  were  closed  up 
in  bags,  sealed  with  the  British  arms,  and  addressed  to 


192  THE  BRITISH  AMBASSAPOR  ACTS. 

the  British  Consiil  at  the  seaport,  whose  business  it  was 
to  examine  the  seals,  and  finding  them  intact,  to  deliver 
the  enclosed  dispatches  (which  were  of  course  all  also 
carefully  sealed)  to  the  postal  authorities. 

And  the  Ambassador,  Lord  Stratford  de  Kedcliffe, 
was  not  easily  wearied  or  baffled  when  in  pursuit  of  jus- 
tice and  liberty  for  the  oppressed.  The  substance  of  the 
Consul's  reports  found  their  way  to  the  Grand  Vizier,  or 
whomsoever  they  most  concerned ;  and  if  the  discrepan- 
cies were  found  to  be  flagrant,  further  inquiries  were  in- 
stituted ;  and  it  sometimes  happened  that  the  Pashk  found 
out,  too  late,  that  he  would  have  been  a  richer  and  a  hap- 
pier man  had  he  only  given  heed  at  first  to  the  few 
simple  words  addressed  to  him  by  the  Consul  in  private, 
for  the  facts  were  indeed  even  as  he  had  then  told  him  ; 
but  that  now  there  was  no  longer  opportunity  for  him  to 
render  justice. 

He  was  removed  fi:om  his  post — ^whether  to  an 
inferior  one  elsewhere — whether  to  no  post  at  all 
anywhere — ^mattered  not  very  much.  The  PashJt  was 
removed,  and  removal  meant  loss  of  money.  All  that  he 
had  spent  in  fees  (bribes),  perhaps  diuing  a  long  course 
of  years,  while  he  worked  his  way  up  to  promotion,  was 
gone — wasted. 

He  had  to  begin  again — ^to  borrow  afresh  from 
the  Armenian  money-dealers  in  Constantinople  (to  whom 
he  was  already  heavily  in  debt) — to  sink  fresh  sums 
of  money — to  spend  weary  months  in  attendance  on  his 
patrons,  whoever  they  might  happen  to  be,  and  to  learn 
by  bitter  experience  that  he  was  a  marked  man,  how- 
ever gently  his  own  Government  might  have  let  him  down. 


PEACEFUL  REFORM  CHECKED  BY  WAR.     193 

The  Pashks  learned  that  their  august  master,  the 
Sultan,  really  did  mean  that  his  subjects  should  enjoy 
tranquillity,  and  that  the  great  British  Elchi  had  means 
of  keeping  him  informed  as  to  whether  his  benevolent 
intentions  were  carried  out,  or  whether  they  were  frus- 
trated ;  and  in  his  next  post  the  Pashk  found  the  sjime 
machinery  at  work. 

By  the  time  that  the  Crimean  War  broke  out,  the 
vigilance  and  industry  of  the  British  authorities  had  pro- 
duced an  appreciable  effect.  Not  only  were  the  repre- 
sentations made  by  British  Consuls  to  the  Pashks  found 
to  be  strictly  trustworthy  as  to  fact,  but  it  was  foimd 
altogether  easier  and  better  to  obviate  fiirther  trouble  by 
attending  to  them  promptly. 

Great  was .  the  change  in  the  condition  of  all  native 
Christians  and  Jews,  wherever  this  system  was  at  work. 
A  few  more  years,  and  the  non-Moslems  of  the  East 
would  have  grown  happy  and  prosperous,  and  would 
have  needed  neither  defender  nor  champion,  for  they 
would  have  been  strong  enough  to  take  care  of  them- 
selves. 

But  what  would  then  have  become  of  the  champions  ? 

At  any  rate  the  war  broke  out.  For  peaceable  re- 
forms violent  measiu'es  were  substituted,  old  fanaticisms 
on  both  sides  rekindled,  milUons  of  money  spent,  tens  of 
thousands  of  lives  sacrificed. 

If  Christians  of  the  East  were  brought  any  nearer  to 
civil  and  religious  liberty,  it  was  in  spite  of  the  Eussian 
war,  and  owing  to  the  continuance  of  the  exertions  which 
Lord  Stratford  de  Eedcliffe  never  ceased  to  make  for  the 
radical  reform  of  the  Turkish  Empire.     He  had  begun 

VOL.  I.  0 


194  TUECO-PHELE  AND  RUSSOPHOBE. 

this  great  work,  and  had  carried  it  on  many  years  before 
the  war.  He  continued  it  during  the  war,  in  spite  of  the 
irritation  which  Bussian  aggression  caused. 

England  had  spoken  on  the  side  of  impartial  justice, 
even  where  the  offenders  were  Christians ;  and  had  shown 
her  sincerity  by  deeds,  even  to  the  extent  of  fighting  on 
the  side  of  the  Moslems.  But  England  was  known  to  be 
•  the  friend  and  advocate  of  all  suffering  Christians,  and  in 
those  days  her  words  had  weight.  All  the  influence  Eng- 
land possessed,  and  in  those  days  it  was  aiormous,  was 
used  in  favour  of  liberty  for  all,  and  for  the  purpose  of 
reforming  abuses. 

Turco-phile  and  Busso-phobe  are  convenient  phrases 
freely  applied  of  late  to  people  who  fail  to  perceive  that 
it  is  a  Christian  ^iuty  to  foment  insurrection,  or  to  dis- 
possess Turkey  by  force  of  any  part  of  her  empire ;  and 
who  hold  that  Bussia  might  more  effectually  serve  the 
interests  of  humanity  and  of  Christianity  in  the  East,  than 
in  annexing,  by  means  of  sanguinary  war,  fresh  provinces 
to  her  vast  empire. 

It  may  be  asked  whether  it  is  altogether  fair  to  apply 
these  terms  to  people  whose  experience  has  shown  them 
that  Eastern  Christians  could  be  emancipated  by  a  pro- 
cess more  speedy,  more  efficacious,  and  less  wasteful  of 
human  life,  than  by  insurrection  and  war. 

Let  any  impartial  person  compare  the  condition  of 
native  Christians  in  Palestine  at  the  beginning  of  the  Bus- 
sian War,  in  1853,  with  what  it  was  twenty  years  before, 
in  1833,  and  let  them  say  honestly  whether  immense 
progress  toward  emancipation  had  not  been  made. 

And  this  was  true  not  only  of  Jerusalem,  Nazareth, 


THE  TRUE  FRIEND  OF  EASTERN  CHRISTIANS.     195 

Acre,  Beyroot,  and  all  towns  in  Palestine,  even  including 
Damascus ;  but  it  was  also  true  of  other  parts  of  the 
Turkish  Empire,  of  Smyrna,  Constantinople,  and  Egypt. 

Let  any  native  Christian,  old  enough  to  remember  the 
sufferings  endiured  only  twenty  years  before  the  Crimean 
War  broke  out,  bear  witness,  and  he  will  say  that  in 
1853  the  change  was  already  for  the  better,  as  the  change 
from  darkness  to  light,  or  from  death  to  life. 

And  yet  all  that  change  was  brought  about  quietly 
by  steady  persevering  action  on  the  part  of  people  who. 
were  certainly  not  Turco-philes,  unless  he  could  be  justly 
called  a  Turco-phile  who  most  clearly  saw  the  iniquities 
of  Turkish  rule  as  it  was  fifty  years  ago,  and  who  rebuked 
the  offenders  with  a  candour  and  a  sternness  remembered 
better  in  Constantinople  and  by  Eastern  Christians  than 
in  England ;  while  at  the  same  time  he  wielded  the 
powerful  influence  within  his  reach,  and  of  which  not  the 
meanest  was  his  own  intimate  knowledge  of  facts  as  dis- 
tinguished from  fiction,  so  successfiilly  against  abuses  and 
in  favour  of  thorough  radical  reform,  that  his  name  will 
be  handed  down  to  posterity  as  that  of  the  upright 
Englishman  who  found  out  where  and  how  justice  could 
be  had  for  all  the  subjects  of  the  Sultan  of  Turkey,  and 
spared  no  pains  to  get  it  for  them. 

Christianity  has  vital  force,  which  will  and  must  cause 
those  peoples  who  sincerely  profess  the  Christian  faith  to 
grow  and  expand,  and  become  strong  the  moment  pres- 
sure is  removed. 

The  true  friend  is  he  who  quietly  helps  to  remove 
pressure  wherever  it  exists.     But  the  storms  of  war  are 

02 


196  TWENTY  YEARS  OF  PROGRESS. 

cruelly  injurious— they  check  growth,  depress  the  vital 
powers,  blight  the  young  budding  energies,  lay  low  plants 
growing  up  under  the  influences  of  peace,  and  it  is  a  long 
time  before  they  can  recover  and  raise  their  heads  again. 

Some  talk  of  the  sacred  duty  of  insurrection,  of  the 
holiness  of  war ;  but  we  may  be  pardoned  for  preferring 
means  by  which  Christians  may  be  more  surely  bene- 
fited, and  which  are  less  likely  to  leave  festering  sores 
and  rankling  enmities. 

Surely  it  would  have  been  bad  poKcy  in  the  years 
between  1833  and  1853  to  have  fomented  insurrection, 
when  other  means  could  be  resorted  to  and  found  sue- 
cessful.  It  was  better  to  promote  radical  reforms,  by 
which  Christians,  Moslems,  and  Jews  would  all  be  bene- 
fited ;  to  spend  time,  energy,  and  self-denying  labour,  in 
seeking  and  obtaining  toleration  and  tranquillity  for  all. 

Greater  and  more  rapid  progress  might  have  been 
made  in  the  emancipation  of  Eastern  Christians,  if  more 
interest  had  been  taken  in  this  country  in  the  great 
work  then  going  on  in  Turkey.  But  in  those  days,  at 
least,  people  knew  but  little  of  their  fellow  Christians  in 
the  East,  and  devoted  a  very  small  proportion  of  their 
thoughts,  or  time,  or  money,  to  seeking  their  welfare. 

The  apathy  of  English  Christians  was  amazing  to 
those  who  lived  in  the  East,  and  watched  precious  years, 
with  their  opportunities  for  unlimited  freedom  of  action 
siifTered  to  slip  by,  unheeded  and  unused. 

But  while  in  this  country  men  slumbered,  others  were 
awake  and  at  work,  and  peaceful  reform  was  not  the 
object  of  their  desires. 

The  Crimean  war  came  arid  it  stopped  with  a  rude 


TESTIMONY  OF  LORD  STBATFORD  DE  REDCLDPFE.      197 

shock  that  work  of  peaceful  reform.  It  revived  and 
sharpened  the  fanatic  hatred  of  Christian  against  Mos- 
lem— ^Moslem  against  Christian.  It  absorbed  vast  sums 
of  money — partly  obtained  by  the  infliction  (unavoidable 
no  doubt,  but  ruinous)  of  war  taxes  on  the  industrious 
part  of  the  population :  it  checked  agriculture,  trade,  and 
commerce;  hindered  education  and  improvement. 

And  the  Crimean  war  was  followed  by  consequences 
more  ruinous  still. — But  of  these  we  will  speak  by  and 
by. 

The  authority  so  often  quoted  already,  Lord  Stratford  de 
Redcliflfe,  gives  valuable  testimony  as  to  the  resources  arid  vital 
energies  stored  up  in  the  countries  which  compose  the  Turkish 
Empire : — 

^  Be  it  remembered  that  the  Sultan's  dominions,  whether  we 
look  to  climate,  soil,  or  position,  are  rich  beyond  conception  in 
resources  of  every  kind.  We  have  only  to  name  the  countries 
which  are  comprised  within  their  limits,  and  every  doubt  on 
this  point  must  vanish  from  our  minds.  The  wonder  is,  that 
regions  so  blest  with  all  varieties  of  produce,  with  climates  so 
favourable  to  labour,  with  coasts  so  accessible  to  commerce,  and 
with  fiill  experience  of  these  advantages  transmitted  from  age 
to  age,  should  have  been  brought  to  such  degradation  at  a 
period  when  other  coimtries,  far  less  happily  endowed  by  nature, 
reached  so  great  a  height  of  prosperity  and  power. 

*  Mesopotamia,  Egypt,  Syria,  the  vast  plains  of  Thessaly,  and 
Adrianople — those  in  Asia,  watered  by  the  Hermus,  the  Maean- 
der,  the  Cayster,  the  Caicus,  and  the  productive  provinces  ex- 
tending on  both  sides  along  the  Danube  from  Hungary  to  the 
sea — all  these  and  many  other  districts  of  surpassing  fertility 
are  only  waiting  for  the  long-expected  signal  to  enter  upon  a 
new  career  of  industry,  wealth,  and  glory.  Let  the  doors  be 
thrown  open  to  the  arts,  the  science,  the  capital  of  Europe ;  let 
the  emulation  of  the  natives  be  encouraged,  and  their  fortunes 


198     TESTIMONY  OP  LORD  STRATFORD  DE  REDCLIFPE. 

stifficiently  protected ;  let  the  reforms  to  which  the  Imperial 
Grovermnent  is  pledged,  be  put  into  a  regular  course  of  execu- 
tion, and  the  most  satis&ctory  results  will  be  sure  to  follow. 
Even  as  it  is,  the  Porte's  revenue  has  increased  by  a  fourth 
since  the  Crimean  war,  and  the  financial  embarrassments  which 
have  accompanied  that  progress  may  be  fairly  attributed  to 
extravagance,  to  corruption  and  mismanagement,  or  to  the  cost 
of  putting  down  disturbances  engendered  by  a  vicious  course  of 
administration. 

^  The  reforms  which  are  here  recomi^ended  must  be  viewed 
as  a  whole  in  order  to  be  fully  appreciated.  They  are  com- 
prehensive in-  principle  and  also  in  application.  They  are  by 
no  means  limited  to  the  Christian  subjects  of  the  Porte.  They 
are  calculated  to  promote  the  welfare  of  all  classes,  whatever 
may  be  the  separate  creed  of  each.  The  Imperial  proclamation 
in  which  the  new  concessions  are  embodied,  together  with  the 
earliest,  is  a  real  charter  of  franchises,  the  Magna  Charta  in  a 
broader  sense  than  ours,  of  the  Turkish  Empire.  Honour  to 
Sultan  Abdul  Mejid,  who  gave  it,  and  to  Eeschid  Pasha,  with 
whom  its  leading  idea  originated.  The  various  provisions  it 
contains  may  be  severally  classed  under  the  following  heads  T — 
I.  Confirmation  of  beneficial  ordinances  already  proclaimed. 

II.  Extension  of  previous  c6ncessions. 

III.  Removal  of  existing  abuses. 

IV.  Seciurities  for  the  observance  of  new  measures. 
V.  Improvement  of  a  material  kind. 

*  The  field,  it  must  be  allowed,  is  a  wide  one,  and  sm-ely  in  its 
compartments  there  is  no  want  either  of  liberality  or  of  appa- 
rent sincerity.  A  system  of  reform  which  aims  at  the  removal 
of  all  abuses,  the  perpetuation  of  all  franchises,  the  fusion  of  all 
classes,  the  development  of  all  resources,  the  entire  liberty  of 
public  worship  and  of  private  conscience  in  religious  matters, 
the  extension  and  security  of  civil  rights,  and  an  enlarged  inter- 
course with  foreigners,  can  hardly  fail  to  engage  our  sympathy, 
and,  considering  the  diflBculties  which  surround  it  in  a  country 
like  Turkey,  to  command  our  admiration  and  hearty  concur- 
rence.    We  boast  too   much   of  the   spirit  of  our   age  to  be 


TESTIMONY  OF  LORD  STRATPOM)  BE  REDCLIFPE.     199 

indiflferent  to  one  of  its  greatest  and  least  expected  achieve- 
ments. Our  free  institutions,  our  Protestant  faith,  our  com- 
mercial enterprise,  our  skill  in  manufactures,  all  these  sources 
of  our  national  greatness  are  deeply  interested  in  the  triumph  of 
such  principles  over  bigotry,  ignorance,  and  corruption  in  one 
of  their  strongest  and  most  extensive  holds.' ' 

•    ^  Lord  Stratford  de  Kedcliffe  in  *  Nineteenth  Century/  p.  735. 


200 


CHAPTER  Vm. 

GENERAL  MOSLEM  POPULATION  OF  PALESTINE. 

Improved  condition  of  the  Ohnatiana — Moslem  pilgrimages  to  Jerusalem — 
Hharamresh'Shereefi-^* l^ohle  Sanctuary'  jealously  closed  against  Non- 
Moslems — Murder  of  a  Moslem  at  prayer  in  the  Sanctuary — Nabloos 
fanaticism — Death  to  Apostates — Various  kinds  of  Moslems — Fdlahheen 
'  Peasantry  '—Selladeen  '  Town  Arabs  '-—Their  dislike  of  Turks— Pea- 
sant or  Fellahheen — Oode  of  Law — ^Thar,  or  '  blood  revenge ' — Influence 
of  Village  clan  Sheikhs — Turkish  yoke  not  heavy — *  Balance  of  power ' — 
'Divide  et  impera' — Turkish  system  of  self-government — Its  disadvan- 
tages— ^Reforms. 

Having  sketched  out  the  condition  of  the  various  com- 
munities in .  the  City  of  Jerusalem,  let  us  now  take  a 
general  survey  of  the  state  of  the  Moslem  population  of 
Palestine,  before  and  at  the  commencement  of  the  Rus- 
sian War ;  of  their  attitude  towards  Christians,  of  their 
own  condition,  and  of  their  relations  with  the  Turkish 
Government. 

It  will  be  borne  in  mind  that  these  Moslems  form  the 
bulk  of  the  population,  and  include  the  dominant  class  of 
Arabs  and  Syrians  in  the  towns  ('  beUadeen '),  a  very  large 
majority  of  the  peasantry  {'fellahheen '),  and  all  the  wild 
desert  Arabs  (*  bedaween ').  All  these  three  classes  are 
Moslems  (Mohammedans),  at  least  in  name  and  (some 
measure  of)  outward  observance. 

The  rest  of  the  inhabitants  are  Christians,  and  in  cer- 
tain towns  Jews  are  to  be  found — and  some  Samaritans 
in  Nabloos — ^Druses  in  the  Lebanon,  &c. 


IMPROVED  CONDITION  OF  THE  CHRISTIANS.       201 

A  great  change  had,  as  has  been  akeady  stated,  passed 
over  the  land,  as  well  as  over  Jerusalem,  with  respect  to 
toleration  of  reUgion  in  the  existing  generation,  not  only 
caused  by  the  Hatti-Shereef  of  Gulhdneh  in  1838,  but 
also  by  the  surviving  effects  of  previous  Egyptian  do- 
minion between  1832  and  1840,  which  had  swept  away 
much  of  the  bigotry  and  tyranny  of  former  ages. 

There  had  even  been,  since  1845,  a  profession  of 
cquahty  for  all  religions  in  the  administration  of  local 
government,  and  certainly  less  of  injiury  and  insult  from  the 
Moslem  populace  to  the  Christians.  Their  functionaries 
were  no  longer  endured  as  intruders  into  Christian  houses 
for  food,  lodging,  and  money,  remaining  there  till  their 
demands  were  satisfied.  Christian  women  were  not  now 
dishonoured  with  impunity  of  the  offenders.  '  Avanias,' 
or  levies  of  money,  at  any  irregular  time  or  place,  with- 
out reason  assigned,  were  no  more  suffered.  Christians 
were  not  now  pushed  into  the  gutters  of  the  streets  by 
every  Moslem  taking  up  the  best  part  of  the  pavement, 
and  with  a  scowl  crying  out,  *  Shemmel-ni  ya  kelb '  (turn 
to  my  left,  thou  dog) ;  neither  were  Christians  debarred 
from  riding  horses  or  wearing  cheerful  colours.* 

'  Afi  specimeoB  of  old  times,  see  Journal  of  Rev.  P.  Fisk  who  was  in 
Jerusalem  in  1823.  He  was  seated  with  two  friends  on  the  Mount  of  Olives, 
and  while  singing  a  hymn,  an  armed  Moslem  came  up  and  commanded  them 
to  he  silent,  threatening  Mr.  Fisk  to  strike  him  with  his  gun. 

The  same  day  (it  seems)  the  President  of  the  Greek  Convent  of  Mar 
Elias  was  bastinadoed  to  a  fearful  extent,  under  the  idea  that  he  could  bo 
made  to  discover  hidden  treasure.  And  some  of  the  villages  around 
having  refused  to  pay  the  excessive  and  arbitrary  taxation  laid  upon  them, 
the  soldiers  caught  hold  of  an  infirm  old  peasant  of  the  Christian  village  of 
Bait  Jala,  shot  him,  cut  off  his  head,  and  stuck  it  up  inside  the  Jaffii  gate  of 
Jerusalem,  where  it  was  pelted  and  spit  upon  by  boys  of  the  streets  for  three 
days.  Christians  pas.sing  by  were  melted  into  teai-s,  but  dared  not  give  ex- 
preesion  to  their  feelings. 


202     EXCITEMENT  CAUSED  BY  THE  WAR. 

Legal  commentary-books  of  the  detestable  old  bigotry 
were  indeed  still  in  existence,  and  even  acted  upon  in 
small  or  remote  places,  but  it  was  at  length  known  by 
experience  that  in  towns  where  European  Consuls  had 
cognizance,  reports  might  be  made  to  higher  stations  still, 
and  then  not  merely  written  rebukes  for  illegal  acts,  but 
displacement  firom  office  could  be  obtained  from  Constan- 
tinople. 

Christians  had  felt  in  1852  much  more  secure  in  life 
and  goods  than  their  fathers  had  been,  yet  the  actual 
generation,  even  when  elected  to  be  members  of  the 
Civic  Council,  dared  not  venture  so  far  in  acting  upon 
their  privileges  as  to  refuse  giving  their  seals  to  noto- 
riously felse  documents.  They  took  their  places  humbly 
in  the  lowest  part  of  the  Div^n,  thankful  for  the  compara- 
tive honours  they  enjoyed. 

Not  only  the  laws,  but  the  known  and  expressed  wishes 
of  the  Supreme  Government  were  in  favour  of  Christians. 
Had  there  been  no  disturbing  influences,  the  Christians 
might  now  have  been  considered  to  enjoy  a  fair  measure 
of  tranquillity,  at  least  in  the  towns  where  Europeans  re- 
sided, and  imposed  some  check  by  their  presence  upon 
the  old  Moslem  insolence  and  fanaticism ;  but  the  ferment 
of  the  rumours  of  war  induced  a  dangerous  feverishness 
over  the  country. 

The  Eussians  were  regarded  as  protectors  and  cham- 
pions of  Eastern  Christianity — hence  the  ignorant  Mos- 
lems, and  these  were  by  no  means  confined  to  the  poorer 
classes, even  in  Jerusalem,  considered  the  war  now  immi- 
nent as  a  Holy  war,  in  which  Islfi,m  was  to  be  ranged 
against  Christianity.     Among  such  every  Moslem  was  to 


CHRISTIAN  FEARS.     MOSLEM  BLUSTER.  203 

consider  as  his  enemy  every  native  Christian,  or  at  least 
all  those  who  had  any  relations  with  Russia  (Greeks, 
and  even  Armenians). 

The  timorous  and  panic-stricken  Christians  helped 
forward  this  idea  by  the  very  excess  of  their  fears.  They 
had  not  the  sense  to  conceal  their  dread  of  a  probable 
approaching  massacre,  in  which  scenes  of  horror  and 
bloodshed  were  to  be  enacted,  such  as  their  fathers  had 
endured  in  consequence  of  the  war  of  Greek  indepen- 
dence about  thirty  years  before. 

The  condition  of  these  poor  people  was  distressing : 
neither  reason  nor  argument  made  any  impression  upon 
them.  Fear  had  been  sucked  in  with  their  mothers' 
milk,  in  days  gone  by,  and  now  it  overpowered  them. 

If  this  was  the  case  in  Jerusalem,  where  the  Con- 
vents, and  Patriarchs,  and  Consuls,  were  ready  protectors, 
it  was  tenfold  worse  in  all  distant  towns  and  villages. 
There  incidents  occurred  which  would  have  been  simply 
ludicrous  but  for  the  intolerance  backed  by  power  on  one 
side,  and  abject  alarm  on  the  other,  which  they  revealed. 

At  Easter,  the  Mufti  of  Gaza  threw  the  handfxd  of 
Christians  of  that  town  into  a  panic,  by  issuing  a  legal 
decision,  or  Fetwah,  that  it  was  against  the  interests  of  the 
religion  of  Isl&m  for  the  Christians  to  carry  palm-branches 
in  their  church  on  Palm  Sunday,  as  they  had  always 
done.  When  this  became  known  in  Jerusalem,  people 
laughed  at  him  and  at  the  frightened  Christians  of  the 
place. 

Yet,  in  Jerusalem  also,  there  was  serious  alarm  lest 
a  collision  should  occur  between  the  crowds  of  Greek 
pilgrims  assembled  for  Easter — ^sturdy,  well-armed  fel- 


204    EASTER  CROWDS.     PILGRIMS  AND  DERVISHES. 

lows,  some  of  whom  had  been  Eussian  soldiers,  and  the 
Moslem  pilgrims  to  Nebi-Moosa,  who  poured  into  the  city 
in  imusual  numbers  from  the  Nabloos  district.  The  Na- 
bloosians  are  noted  for  brutality  and  fanaticism. 

Happily  the  Latin  Easter  was  earlier  this  year,  but  the 
multitude  of  Greeks,  Armenians,  Syrians,  Copts,  and 
Abyssinians  (who  all  follow  the  Eastern  Calendar)  was 
immense,  and  the  hum,  the  bustle  and  noise  that  came 
through  open  windows  from  the  thronged  bazaars,  kept 
one  constantly  on  the  alert. 

Through  these  filled  streets  and  bazaars  the  Moslem 
pilgrims  forced  their  way,  in  processions  headed  by  men 
carrying  gaudy  green  and  red  banners,  beating  large 
drums,  and  by  wandering  dervishes  who  performed  in- 
cantations, with  serpent  charming,  and  sword  jugglery. 
On  Easter  eve,  the  time  of  the  holy  fire,  some  of  these 
bands  tried  to  create  a  disturbance  among  the  Christian 
pilgrims,  but  the  Pashk,  having  timely  notice,  sent  out 
infantry  and  cleared  the  streets.^ 

The  Turkish  authorities  had  good  cause  for  thankful- 

^  The  number  of  Greek  pilgrims  who  went,  according  to  customi  on  the 
Monday  after  Palm  Sunday  to  bathe  in  the  Jordan,  exceeded  the  usual 
number.  The  ceremonies  passed  off  quietly,  however,  and  so  did  also  the 
washing  of  feet,  performed  in  full  pontifical  splendour  by  the  Greek  Metro- 
politan Bishop  (in  absence  of  the  Patriarch),  in  the  open  square  before  the 
Church  of  the  Holy  Sepulchre,  and  by  the  Armenian  Patriarch  in  his  own 
Cathedral  Church  of  St.  James. 

The  Moslem  pilgrimage  always  takes  place  at  about  Easter  time,  having 
been  probably  arranged  as  a  counterbalance  to  the  great  influx  of  Christians 
at  that  period.  Mohammedans  from  all  parts  of  Asia  and  from  Afiica 
attend,  and  this  year  great  numbers  poured  into  Jerusalem,  especially  from 
the  fanatical  district  of  Nabloos.  The  Moslem  authorities  assigned  for 
reason  the  unusual  number  of  vows  of  thanksgiving  to  be  paid  for  the  recent 
blessing  of  unexpected  rain  after  drought.  But  it  is  more  likely  that  this 
was  contrived  by  those  who  desired  an  outbreak  against  Christians  on 
account  of  the  present  attitude  of  political  affairs  at  Constantinople* 


i 

til 

0 

»> 

z 


J  iM  THE  TEMPLE  SITE  OR  NOBLE  SANCTUARY.       205 

jj.^  ness  when  the  pilgrims  of  both  kinds  departed  home  and 
left  Jerusalem  to  its  ordinary  condition;  but  still  the 
uneasy  feeling  of  danger  continued  to  possess  the  resident 
Christians,  and  the  Moslems  were  unusually  defiant  and 
blustering. 

In  Palestine,  besides  the  usual  mosques,  there  were 
two  places  of  especial  fanaticism  reserved : — 

1.  The  Hharam  of  Jerusalem,  site  of  the  ancient 
Temple  of  Israel,  called  the  *  noble  sanctuary,*  and  by 
Europeans  incorrectly  the  Mosque  of  'Omar. 

2.  The  Hharam  of  Hebron,  which  is  Machpelah. 

From  access  to  these  all  but  Mohammedans  were  ex- 
cluded, and  the  former  was  guarded  by  a  police  of  fero- 
cious Africans  called  Takami  (plural  of  Takroori),  a 
people  from  Darfoor. 

Who  has  not  heard  of  the  former  impossibility  of 
getting  access  to  the  Mosque  of  'Omar,  and  what  traveller 
to  Jerusalem  of  that  or  earher  periods  has  not  gazed  with 
wistful  eyes  at  a  distance,  either  from  Olivet,  or  from  the 
roof  of  the  barracks  when  admitted  there  by  special 
favour,  upon  those  sacred  precincts,  which  of  old  con- 
tained the  one  temple  of  the  one  God,  and  where  pro- 
phets, priests,  kings,  apostles,  and  the  Saviour  himself, 
have  certainly  walked :  now  presenting  so  Oriental  an 
appearance,  a  spacious  area  with  green  grass,  olive  and 
cypress  trees,  around  an  edifice  of  remarkable  beauty  ? 

Many  mistakes,  and  consequent  insults  or  injuries, 
having  arisen  from  strangers  imagining  that  place  to  be 
one  of  public  promenade,  as  they  peered  through  the 
open  gateways,  it  became  necessary  to  represent  these 
instances  to  the  Embassy.     Our  people  were  sometimes 


206         A  MOSLEM  KILLED  IN  THE  SANCTUARY. 

beaten  by  the  Africans  with  clubs  and  pelted  with  stones 
when  approaching  in  that  direction,  or  merely  passing  at 
some  distance  within  view  of  the  gates. 

At  ope  time  I  entreated  the  Pashk  to  obviate  these 

inconveniences,  either  by  putting  up  bars  across  the  open 
passages,  or  by  placing  sentinels  from  the  adjacent  bar- 
racks, or  even  by  posting  up  inscriptions  in  two  or  three 
European  languages,  for  warning  off  the  strangers ;  but 
nothing  was  done. 

The  following  incident  of  July,  1851,  will  show  what 
sort  of  occurrences  were  to  be  apprehended.  A  Moslem 
in  Nizftm  (military)  uniform  was  praying  within  the 
Hharam  enclosure,  with  a  book  before  him,  and  accord- 
ing to  proper  ritual,  his  shoes  off,  and  his  unbuckled 
sword  laid  by  his  side,  when  one  of  the  old  school  of 
devotees  came  up,  and  accusing  him  of  being  a  Christian, 
'  bade  him  repeat  the  Confession  of  Faith.  This  he  did, 
but  in  a  manner  more  deliberate  than  is  usual  with  Mos- 
lems of  the  country,  on  which  the  other  snatched  up  the 
sword,  and  cut  him  deeply  across  the  face. 

The  man  died  of  the  wound  the  next  day. 

Now,  it  may  have  been  that  the  victim  was  not  a  bom 
Moslem,  but  a  renegade  serving  in  the  Turkish  army,  and 
therefore  not  yet  versed  in  traditionary  observances  pre- 
scribed for  prayer  ;  or  he  may  have  been  a  born  Moslem 
from  some  distant  land,  not  sufficiently  familiar  with  the 
Arabic  language  to  be  able  to  recite  the  formulated 
verses  without  a  book. 

No  enquiry  was  made  on  the  subject,  but  the  event 
showed  the  peril  of  any  non-Moslem  entering  within  the 
Hharam-esh-Shereef  of  Jerusalem.    I  never  heard  of  any 


<•> 


MOSLEM  BIGOTRY  IN  NABLOOS  AND  SAMARIA.    207 

punishment  reaching  the  religious  murderer.  The  crime 
had  not  even  the  specious  excuse  of  being  an  infliction 
\yy  the  appointed  police. 

The  town  of  Nabloos  (Shechem)  has  been  cpnynonly 
held  in  bad  repute  for  its  intolerance  of  Christianity. 
Very  few  Christians  resided  there,  but  they  had  constant 
reason  to  complain  of  gross  injustice  on  the  part  of  the 
Icx^al  authorities.  European  travellers,  too,  were  hooted 
through  the  streets ;  the  men  kept  themselves  from  de- 
tection, but  their  children  were  taught  to  run  along  the 
flat  roofe  of  the  houses,  singing  disgusting  rhymes  to  a 
Bimple  air,  and  as  these  juvenile  offenders  could  not  be 
got  at,  the  men  in  the  streets  or  bazaars,  in  reply  to 
remonstrances,  merely  shrugged  their  shoulders  and  said 
that  the  children  were  ill-behaved.  Happily  few  of  the 
travellers  understood  what  was  going  on,  and  the  poor 
creatures  representing  policy  acted  as  well  as  they  could 
under  the  lax  rule  of  the  period. 

In  the  village  of  Sebustieh,  occupying  part  of  the 
ground  of  the  ancient  metropolis  Samaria,  less  than  two 
hours  from  Nabloos,  the  people  have  even  a  worse 
character,  and  are  distinguishable  by  a  vile  scowling 
demeanoiu*  towards  Europeans.  On  one  occasion  I  was 
with  a  friend  surveying  the  remarkable  antiquities  of  the 
place,  when  some  lazy  fellows,  lying  on  the  ground, 
bawled  out  to  the  muleteers,  undeterred  by  the  armed 
kawwases  in  attendance,  '  Where  did  you  pick  up  that 
lot?' 

They  were  doubtless  ignorant  of  any  political  connec- 
tion between  our  Gk)vernment  and  the  Turkish— in  fact, 
cqiiaUy  indifferent  to  both  nations;  and  as  we  passed 


208  A  FANATIC  VILLAGE  SHAIKH. 

along  Herod's  long  colonnade,  a  troop  of  their  children 
piuflued  us  sin^ng  in  chorus : — 

Our  festival  is  that  of  the  Prophet, 
Your  festiyal  is  that  of  the  Deyil. 

It  was  at  the  beginning  of  RamadS,n,  to  which,  of  course, 
their  allusion  was  made,  and  there  was  no  governor  to 
apply  to  nearer  than  Nabloos.  However,  we  were  too 
strong  a  party  for  the  men  to  attack. 

About  the  same  time  the  Shaikh  of  a  village  named 
Tarsheehhah,  near  Acre,  conceived  this  a  favourable  op- 
portunity for  reviving  the  failing  spirit  of  what  were  to 
him  *  the  good  old  times,*  and  under  the  profession  of 
certain  ultra  doctrines  gathered  from  among  the  MetS,wila 
sect,  he  collected  disciples  to  follow  in  his  train  from  vil- 
lage to  village,  distinguished  by  a  particular  mode  of 
wearing  the  turban,  and  all  carrying  long  staves  shod 
with  iron,  which  they  thumped  upon  the  ground  while 
vociferating  the  Confession  of  Faith — '  There  is  no  God 
but  Allah,  and  Mohammed  is  the  Apostle  of  God  I ' 

These  coarse  and  ignorant  enthusiasts  claimed  to  be 
revivalists  of  primitive  dogma,  and  even  sent  missionary 
{igents  into  large  towns,  where  converts  were  made  by 
them ;  but  in  neither  town  nor  country  did  they  produce 
much  effect  for  evil,  for  the  civil  power  was  everywhere 
r.gainst  them,  and  in  the  villages  they  were  unwelcome 
on  account  of  their  boisterous  demands  for  hospitality. 
In  Jerusalem  some  men  of  the  best  families  took  to  the 
Tarsheehhah  turban  and  iron-shod  staves,  but  these  were 
believed,  how  truly  I  cannot  tell,  to  be  indoctrinated 
\vith  the  Pantheism  of  the  Soofis. 

Could  these  people  have  witnessed  or  believed  from 


SALUTATIONS  TO  CHRISTIANS.  209 

others  the  true  state  of  Constantinople  at  the  same  time 
or  soon  afterwards,  when  it  lay  almost  trodden  down  by 
unbelieving  armies,  and  the  mosque  of  St.  Sophia  opened 
to  foreigners  with  their  shoes  on ;  or  still  more,  could  they 
have  witnessed  the  change  of  manners  produced  by  the 
so-called  civilisation  there  within  the  palace  itself,  they 
would  have  been  ready  to  anathematise  the  '  Commander 
of  the  Faithful '  and  all  his  Div&n — ^what  mischief  they 
might  have  perpetrated  imder  such  circumstances  in  Syria, 
away  from  the  stirring  scenes  of  war ! 

We  were  surprised  to  find  that  at  the  same  period 
the  peasantry  even  in  the  district  about,  and  to  the  south 
of  Nabloos,  understanding  better  than  before  the  real 
condition  of  our  alliance  with  their  rulers,  adopted  the 
practice  of  saluting  us  Europeans  on  the  highways  with 
the  greeting  of  '  Sal&m  'aleikom '  (peace  be  upon  you !) 
which  had  always  been  strictly  reserved  for  Mohamme- 
dans only ;  and  the  KS,di  of  Caifa  declared  to  me  that  the 
reservation  was  merely  a  matter  of  custom,  and  not  the 
result  of  any  law  or  tradition,  appealing  to  his  friends 
around  him  for  confirmation.  It  is,  however,  most  pro- 
bable that  this  was  but  a  flattering  untruth,  adapted  to 
time  and  circumstance.^ 

Old  'Abd  el  Wahh'd,  the  Mdi  of  Nabloos,  always 
saluted  me  thus  in  pubhc,  and  sometimes  would  even 
recite  the  Lord's  prayer,  as  he  had  learned  it  from  our 

^  This  Moslem  exclusion  of  Christians  from  tHe  benefits  of  Salam,  which 
belongs  to  the  world  to  come  as  well  as  to  this  world,  preydils  in  most 
Mohammedan  countries ;  but  I  am  told  that  in  India  that  sfdutation  is  freely 
giyen  to  the  English,  partly  because  we  are  masters  of  the  country,  and 
partly  because  amid  the  vast  nations  of  idolaters  they  look  upon  us  almost  as 
co-religionifita. 

VOL.  I.  F 


210  FEELING  ABOUT  EUROPEANS, 

Protestant  Prayer-book  (i.e.  our  English  liturgy),  and  say 
it  was  very  good. 

The  mass  of  the  population,  however,  being  extremely 
ignorant,  were  but  little  influenced  by  the  convenient 
hberality  of  Turkish  and  other  officials,  and  the  above 
salutation  gradually  fell  into  disuse,  disappearing  with 
the  war  itself. 

It  is,  however,  worth  remarking  that,  according  to 
my  experience,  the  intolerance  of  the  old  school  was 
directed  in  our  era  rather  against  Europeanism  than 
against  the  Christian  religion,  though  the  Turks  gave 
some  impulse  in  the  Uberal  direction,  which  obtained 
mostly  in  towns:  the  knowledge  had  been  brought  home 
to  the  minds  of  all  but  very  remote  peasantry  that  destiny 
had  probably  given  over  to  the  Europeans  an  invincibility 
in  military  as  in  other  science,  against  which  it  was  hope- 
less to  contend ;  and  all  that  could  be  done  was  what  every 
faithful  Moslem  was  sure  it  was  his  duty  to  do,  according 
to  his  means,  to  impede  the  advance  of  the  coming  evil 
in  all  its  stages^-only  in  the  actual  state  of  affairs  to  re- 
member that  we  were  active  allies  with  themselves. 

Once  in  a  secluded  vaUey,  not  in  a  town,  a  p^iiant 
lad  pointed  at  our  party  with  one  finger,  meaning  *J0 
attest  the  unity  *  of  God,  as  he  repeated  the  few  words 
of  the  last  chapter  of  the  Korftn,^  but  this  was  likely  to 
be  more  out  of  superstitious  fear  than  from  hatred. 

In  the  mental  difficulty  which  occupied  the  old-school 
Moslems  under  the  circumstances,  such  persons  would 

^  [En  Nas]  '  Say  ye,  I  take  refuge  in  the  Lord  of  mankind,  the  King  of 
mankind,  the  God  of  mankind,  from  the  miflchief  of  the  suggestions  of  the 
Evil  one;  who  suggests  into  the  hreasts  of  men,  from  both  Jinne  and  men«' 


« 


i 


DEATH  TO  APOSTATES.  211 

sometimes  make  an  effort  to  be  tolerant  by  quoting  the 
'  Hadith,'  or  traditional  saying  of  Mohammed,  that  there 
are  seventy-two  religious  sects  in  the  world,  but  the 
Prophet  had  not  told  which  was  the  half  one ;  soma 
thought  it  was  that  of  the  Druzes,  some  the  Gypsies, 
some  the  Ansarlyeh ;  but  he  could  not  have  meant  the 
Christians,  for  they  axe  included  imder  the  denomination 
of  *  Ehel  el  Kitdb,'  i.e.  believers  in  books  of  Divine  reve- 
lation— these  books  being  understood  to  be  the  Law  of 
Moses,  the  Book  of  Psalms,  and  the  New  Testament,  this 
latter  being  known  by  the  single  word,  *  the  Gospel.' 

One  special  point  must  not  be  passed  over — ^the  old- 
fashioned  belief  that  the  Moslem  law  peremptorily  ordains 
the  penalty  of  death  for  the  crime  of  apostacy  from  their 
religion.  This  had  been  literally  executed  in  Constanti- 
nople and  Broosa  not  long  before,  even  in  the  case  of 
persons  who  had  been  originally  Christian,  but  had  de- 
serted the  Mohammedan  faith  after  once  professing  it. 

The  indignant  outcry  of  Christendom,  however,  ex- 
pressed chiefly  through  our  Embassy  at  Constantinople, 
insisted  on  a  renunciation  of  this  practice  in  1845 ;  but  it 
was  difficult  to  instil  this  novel  form  of  toleration  within 
^ttie  distant  provinces. 

Some  years  before  the  time  we  have  arrived  at,  a 
case  was  secretly  mentioned  to  me  of  a  Christian  (ori- 
ginally) abandoning  the  creed  of  Isl&m  ;  our  Anglican 
bishop  advised  .that  the  man  should  retire  to  India  for 
personal  safety  in  making  his  abjuration;  my  idea  was 
that  he  would  be  equally  free  to  act  according  to  his  con- 
science in  Malta,  but  I  do  not  know  what  was  eventually 
done  for  him, 

p3 


212  VARIOUS  KINDS  OF  MOSLEMS. 

About  1850  I  had  protected  a  man  and  his  son  for 
a  considerable  time  within  the  Consular  premises,  who 
were  in  danger  on  the  same  account ;  finally  these  left  us 
for  Jaffa,  and  I  believe  for  Constantinople. 

The  question  still  remained  undecided  as  regarded  a 
bom  Moslem  accepting  Christianity. 

We  have  had  occasion  in  the  course  of  this  history  to 
mention  the  Moslems  as  distinguished  from  the  Christians 
in  Turkey.  But  it  must  be  remembered  that  the  Moslems 
with  whom  we  had  to  do  were  of  very  diverse  nationali- 
ties, sects,  and  characteristics. 

It  is  laughable— or  rather  it  would  be  laughable  if 
there  were  no  evil  consequences  arising  from  the  igno- 
rance betrayed — ^to  hear  people  mix  up  the  good  and 
bad  points  in  the  Moslem  religion  with  the  good  and 
the  bad  qualities  of  those  who  profess  that  religion — ^for- 
getting  the  immense  diversity  of  nations  classed  together 
under  the  wide  term  Mohammedans. 

What  can  be  more  various,  or  even  opposite,  than 
the  characteristics  of  the  Arabs,  the  Turks,  the  Hindoos, 
Afghans,  Tartars,  Persians,  Moors,  Negroes,  African^  of 
many  races,  Syrians,  Bedaween,   Bulgarians,  Bosnians,  jft 
Circassians  ? 

Yet  all  these  are  Moslems.  They  have  in  common 
the  good  and  the  evil  engendered  by  the  religion  of 
Isl&m.  They  have  in  distinction  and  contrast  to  each 
other  strongly  marked  national  characteristics — ^little  if 
at  all  modified  by  their  common  religion. 

And  yet  people  judge  of  Mohammedanism  by  the 
particular  race  or  nation  of  Moslems  (Arab,  Turk,  Indian, 
or  Persian),  or  of  whom  they  know  most,  or  mce  versd — 


TURKS,  MOORS,  ARABS.  213 

they  judge  of  Arab  Moslems  and  measure  them  by  what 
experience  they  may  have  of  Turkish  Moslems  or  Ne- 
groes, Hindoos,  or  other  nations ! 

As  well  might  they  estimate  Christianity  exclusively 
by  the  particular  aspect  which  it  presents  in  Italy  or  in 
Holland,  or  Moscow ;  or  form  their  ideas  about  the  Irish 
by  what  they  know  of  Germans — of  the  Spaniards  by 
their  acquaintance  with  Icelanders  or  Poles — ^for  are  not 
all  these  Christians  ? 

A  chief  cause  of  the  confusion  in  European  ideas 
arises  from  the  fact  that  various  nations  take  different 
specimens  as  the  type  of  Mohammedanism  and  judge  by 
them. 

In  Central  Europe,  Bussia,  and  Greece,  '  the  Turks,' 
*  die  Tiirken,'  is  a  phrase  synonymous  (though  incorrectly 
so)  with  '  the  Moslems/ 

In  Spain  and  Italy  the  Moors  and  Arabs  represented 
Mohammedanism.  To  this  day  the  Sephardi  Jews,  whose 
ancestors  were  driven  from  Spain  in  the  fifteenth  century, 
and  who  have  Uved  ever  since  in  Palestine,  have  no  other 
name  for  aU  their  Moslem  neighbours  than  *  los  Moros.' 

To  the  mind  of  the  Anglo-Indian  a  totally  different 
type  of  Moslem  presents  itself,  and  the  French  again  are 
chiefly  familiar  with  Egyptian  and  Algerine  varieties. 

Yet  all  believe  themselves  to  be  well  acquainted  with 
Moslems  and  their  rehgion,  while  judging  by  national 
characteristics  often  opposed  to  those  of  every  other 
Moslem  people  than  the  one  they  happen  to  know.  The 
religion  of  Isl4m,  as  it  was  in  its  Arabian  origin  set  forth 
in  the  Korftn,  may  be  no  doubt  comprehended  by  stu- 
dents who  have  never  seen  a  Mohammedan  in  their  Uvea. 


Sl4  SUMJEES,  SHlAflS,  t^LLA  HTffiEN. 

But  in  order  to  deal  fairly  and  successfully  with  Mos- 
lems, account  must  be  taken  of  the  modifications  through 
which  their  religion  has  passed  in  various  countries  and 
among  different  people,  and  allowance  must  be  made  for 
great  and  even  contradictory  varieties  of  national  cha- 
racter. 

In  Palestine  we  had  to  deal  with  three  principal  types 
— ^the  pure  Arabs,  the  Syrian  races  on  whom  Islam  had 
been  imposed  by  conquest,  and  the  Turks  now  dominant 
as  conquerors  and  rulers  over  both. 

But  we  had  also  foreigners — Turkom&ns,  Kurds,  In- 
dians, Afghans,  Tartars,  Egyptians,  and  Africans,  more  or 
less  in  daily  intercourse  with  us. 

These  all  were  of  the  Sunnee  or  orthodox  sect. 

The  Shiahs  were  represented  among  us  by  Persian 
pilgrims  and  by  the  whole  population  in  the  Metdwilah 
district  of  the  Bel&d  Bashftra. 

To  have  confounded  these  together,  or  to  have  treated 
them  all  alike,  must  have  led  to  perhaps  even  fatal  con- 
sequences. 

The  so-called  Arab  Moslem  settled  population  of 
Palestine  is  separable  into  two  classes :  first,  the  mere 
(almost  brutal)  peasantry,  the  FeUahheen — and,  secondly, 
those  somewhat  more  civilised,  the  inhabitants  of  towns, 
the  Belladem. 

The  first,  who  form  the  bulk  of  the  population,  have 
been  indiscriminately  called  Arabs  by  Europeans,  without 
any  consideration  as  to  whether  they  come  irom  Arabia 
or  not.  They  do  not  call  themselves  so,  but  simply 
FeUahheen  (i.e.  tillers  of  the  soil,  ploughmen). 

The  second,  the  Belladem^  or  dwellers  in  towns,  are 


BELLADEEN.     OTTOMAN  OALIPIL  215 

a  mixed  race  of  various  origins,  but  there  are  among 
them  families  entitled  to  the  name  Arab,  their  ancestors 
having  been  immigrants  from  Arabia  at  the  time  of  the 
Mohammedan  conquest.  This  class  forms  but  a  small 
proportion  of  the  population ;  but  these  people  are  proud 
of  their  descent :  they  know,  even  the  ignorant  among 
them,  something  of  their  system  of  religion,  and  look 
back  to  its  Arabian  source. 

They  are  on  this  very  account  unable  to  comprehend 
how  a  Sultan  of  Turks,  an  alien  race  coming  from  Tar- 
tary,  can  rightly  be  regarded  as  Cahph  (successor)  of 
Mohammed  the  Koreish  Arab,  or  exercise  the  power  of 
appointing  or  displacing  the  Shereef  of  Mecca. 

Among  other  modes  of  expressing  their  dislike  of 
Ottoman  pretensions  to  the  Caliphate  was  the  bitter  way 
of  their  pronouncing  the  Sultan's  title  of  *Kh&n,'  as 
though  it  were  an  epithet  derived  from  the  Arabic 
'  Khana '  (to  betray  or  cheat).  I  have  heard  them,  with 
strange  amount  of  emphasis,  speak  of  *  Abdul  Mejeed  el 
Khain '  (the  betrayer  of  trust).^ 

These  Arabs,  as  they  consider  themselves,  detest  and 
hate  the  Turks  with  an  ancient  hatred  which  goes  back 
to  the  period  of  the  Ottoman  conquest  of  ^Arabist&n.' 
The  enmity  and  jealousy  are  due  to  difference  of  race 
and  traditional  remembrance  of  conquest. 

But  loyalty  to  Isl&m  is  a  powerful  and  pervading 
principle  which  keeps  in  check  every  other  feehng.  The 
Sultan  is  de  facto  CaUph  to  the  learned  Arabs  ;  he  is  also 

^  In  the  opinion  of  this  class  of  the  people  the  modem  reforms  and 
liberal  measures  were  a  flagrant  departure  from  the  pure  Moslem  laws  of 
the  Koran. 


216  THE  LAW  or  ABRAHAM. 

Caliph  de  jure.    As  a  matter  of  religioua  obedience  they 
acknowledge  and  obey  him. 

The  former,  the  peasants  (Fellahkeen),  are  nominally 
Mohammedans  by  inheritance,  knowing  no  other  religion, 
but  are  igDorant  to  the  last  d^ree  of  all  but  a  few  externals 
of  worship.  These  are  as  mudi  a  conquered  race  as  the 
Christians  are,  and  like  them  loathe  the  bad  government 
and  the  sensual  vices  of  their  rulers. 
^  They  visit  the  towns  as  little  aa  possible,  and  appeal  as 
little  as  possible  to  Turkish  courts  of  law,  for  they  have 
among  themselves  an  ancient  traditional  code  of  oral  law, 
which  th^  designate  '  the  law  of  Abraham,'  thus  dis- 
tinguished fix)m  the  more  modern  code  of  the  KorAn. 
This  body  of  jurisprudence  is  ample  enough  for  their 
simple  wants,  and  is  usually  administered  by  their  Elders 
(Shaikhs),  not  necessarily,  however,  those  of  their  own 
locality,  for  the  cases  may  be  referred  to  men  of  honest 
repute  and  wisdom  at  a  distance,  whom  they  style  '  good 
men  of  God  '  (Ajaw&d  Allah),  and  to  such  the  parties  are 
at  liberty  to  appeal  even  after  judgment  given  at  home. 

This  oral  law  is  more  elaborate  than  we  might  suspect 
to  be  needed,  with  just  and  fair  provisions  to  the  advan- 
tage of  the  defendants.  It  may  be  paralleled  by  the 
Maori  law,  and  the  Brehon  law  of  other  countries,  prac- 
tically resorted  to  by  indigenous  tribes  after  their  subju- 
gation by  a  stronger  race. 

The  yoke  of  subjection  to  Turkey  did  not  press 

1     heavily  upon  the  village  population.     There  was  plenty 

\    of  bribery,  corruption,  neglect ;  there  was  httle  of  active 

\   tyranny,  or  of  the  grinding  despotism  which  made  m^n 

pity  the  unfortunate  peasantry  of  E^pt. 


CONDITION  OP  TfflS  PEASAJ^TRY.  2l7 

The  Fellahheen  of  Palestine  were,  on  the  contrary, 
suJBTeted  to  govern  themselves  pretty  much  as  they  liked. 
Taxation  did  not  press  upon  them,  even  with  all  the  ex- 
actions and  impositions  of  the  tax-farmers,  who  were 
often  Christians.  Their  lands  were  fertile,  and  for  the 
most  part  yielded  abundantly.  The  peasantry  were  gene- 
rally pretty  well  off,  and  a  good  many  among  them 
amassed  money.  Their  loyalty  to  the  Sultan  was  un- 
shaken. 

The  Pashks  were  mostly  weak  and  venal — even  rapa- 
cious ;  but  the  days  of  cruel  tyranny,  such  as  that  of 
'Abdallah  Pashk  of  Acre,  were  past  and  gone.  The 
Pashks  were  but  little  felt — seen  still  less,  for  during 
their  year's  tenure  of  oflGice  they  rarely  went  beyond  the 
walls  of  Jerusalem. 

The  miseries  of  forced  conscription  for  the  army  were 
in  those  days  unknown  in  Palestine :  and  on  the  whole, 
the  peasantry  felt  that  if  their  Government  did  but  little 
or  nothing  for  them,  they,  on  the  other  hand,  had  httle  or 
nothing  to  suffer  from  the  rigours  of  the  rule  under  which 
they  lived.  If  the  Bashi-bazuks  now  and  then  lived  at 
free  quarters,  and  carried  off  whatever  they  could  lay 
hands  on,  the  regular  troops  lay  quietly  in  garrison,  and 
never  troubled  the  villagers  at  all. 

Prom  within  there  was  nothing  to  endanger  the  safety 
of  Turkish  dominion  in  Palestine.  Left  to  themselves, 
the  Peasant  factions  and  the  Bedawy  tribes,  the  Dnizes 
and  the  Maronites,  might  and  did  fight  each  other ;  but 
of  any  insurrection  against  their  lord  the  Sultan  there 
was  not  the  slightest  danger. 

Local  dissensions  and  hostilities  might  be  fomented 


218  LOYALTY  TO  THE  SULTAN. 

by  intrigue  from  without;  fanatical  intolerance  and 
hatred  might  be  wrought  up  to  a  pitch  of  fury,  but 
even  this  must  have  been  a  work  of  time  in  all  but  the 
large  cities — such  as  Damascus,  Nabloos,  or  Gaza. 

Had  any  rehgious  insurrection  against  the  Christians 
been  begun  in  the  cities,  a  hope  of  plunder  would  doubt- 
less soon  have  brought  in  peasants  and  wild  Arabs  to 
take  their  part ;  but  of  rebelUon  against  the  Sultan  and 
his  Government  there  was  no  idea  whatever.^ 

^  Loyalty  to  the  Sultan  prevails  throughout  the  Turkish  Empire.  Lord 
Stratford  de  Kedclifie  gives  important  testimony  on  that  point : — 

'Respect  for  the  Sultan,  consideration  even  for  his  weaknesses,  sub- 
mission to  his  authority,  nay,  to  his  pleasure,  are  still  universal  among  the 
Mussulman  population.  Yrom  time  to  time,  and  not  unfrequently,  there  are 
disturbances,  now  in  this,  now  in  that  province,  but  they  arise  nearly  always 
from  local  causes,  and  are  confined  within  narrow  limits.  Excesses  may  be 
committed  by  some  body  of  insurgents ;  the  magbtrates  may  be  overpowered ; 
individuals  may  suffer,  and  the  inmiediate  object  of  aversion  may  be  swept 
away.  But  after  a  time  the  Sultan  s  authority  is  sure  to  ride  over  all 
obstacles,  and  to  restore  the  public  peace  with  more  or  less  severity,  and 
some  feeble  show  of  reparation.  The  army,  inadequate  as  it  is  to  the  wants 
of  the  Empu^,  ill-fed,  ill-clothed,  and  ill-paid,  thinned  by  firequent  marches 
over  miserable  roads,  and  having  no  reason  to  rely  upon  its  officers,  rarely,  if 
ever,  fails  to  perform  its  duty.  Discipline,  though  imperfect,  gives  it  a  con- 
stant advantage  over  the  rude  extempore  levies  opposed  to  its  arms.'  (Lord 
Stratford  de  Redcliffe,  *  Nineteenth  Century,'  p.  733.) 

'  Much  belongs  to  the  personal  qualities  of  the  Sultan,  or  of  the  principal 
depositary  of  his  power.  The  nature  of  the  government  and  the  character 
of  the  people  make  it  so.  Mahomet,  the  conqueror  of  Constantinople,  and 
his  immediate  successors  are  brilliant  illustrations  of  the  fact.  Mahmoud, 
the  present  Sultan's  father,  ruled  with  power,  and  commanded  general  respect 
notwithstanding  his  losses,  his  reforms,  his  sanguinary  executions,  and  the 
vile  debaucheries  which  closed  his  life.  Ilis  eldest  son  and  successor, 
'Abdul  Mejid,  fell  into  contempt  through  want  of  resolution  and  energy, 
although  his  reign,  unsullied  by  any  measures  of  injustice  or  cruelty,  was 
marked,  on  the  contrary,  by  a  course  of  policy  successful,  on  the  whole,  both 
at  home  and  abroad.  His  &ilings  were  those  of  a  gentle  and  generous  dis- 
position, unsustained  by  that  vigour  of  mind  and  body  which  the  difficulties 
of  his  perilous  station  required.  If,  as  there  is  room  to  hope,  his  younger 
brother,  'Abdu'l  Aziz  (who  was  reigning  when  this  was  written),  the  reign- 
ing Emperor,  should  carry  out  the  reforms  and  improvomeuts  adopted  by 


\ 


THE  JBALANOE  OF  JPOWEiEt.  219 

In  spite  of  the  most  serious  defects  and  hindrances, 
the  Ottoman  Government  held  its  own.  The  Turks  in 
past  times  had  maintained  their  rule  in  Palestine,  as  else- 
where, by  steady  adherence  to  the  policy  of  using  one 
interest  or  set  of  interests  to  counterbalance  others.  In 
the  art  of  doing  this  they  are  still  unrivalled.  When  two 
chiefs,  or  tribes,  or  provinces,  were  too  nearly  equal  in 
strength,  and  had  therefore  become  troublesome,  they 
were  set  to  fighting  each  other  till  one  obtained  the  upper 
hand. 

Both  were  weakened  in  the  process,  and  ambiguities 
were  ended  by  the  results.  Thereafter  one  could  be 
held  responsible  for  whatever  might  occur.  Should  that 
one,  be  it  chief,  tribe,  or  province,  become  too  powerful 
— the  ancient  rivalry  had  probably  not  been  so  utterly 
extinguished  that  it  could  not  be  revived  and  used  for 
abating  the  pride  and  strength  of  the  opposite  side,,  now 
grown  too  great  to  be  easily  kept  in  subjection. 

And  the  same  principle  was  applied  in  a  thousand 
various  ways.  'The  balance  of  power'  is  no  empty 
phrase  in  Turkish  politics,  whether  local  and  on  a  small 
scale,  or  in  the  larger  concerns  of  churches  and  of 
kingdoms. 

People  often  wondered  and  asked  how  Turkey  could 
govern  Palestine,  and  hold  in  check  so  many  conflicting 
interests,  and  so  independent  and  even  turbulent  a  popu- 
lation, by  means  of  a  single  battalion  or  two  of  regular 
troops,  who  were  rarely  seen  beyond  the  walls  of  the 

Abdul-Mejid  with  the  energy  displayed  by  Mahmoud,  Turk  and  Christian, 
the  Empire  and  its  allies,  would  have  reason  to  rejoice.*  (L  jrd  Stratford  de 
Bedcliffe  in  'Nineteenth  Century/  p.  734.) 


220  DIVIDE  ET  mPERA.' 

garrison  towns,  and  who  could  only  be  made  to  act  by 
means  of  orders  obtained  from  the  Commander-in-Chief 
at  Damascus,  many  days'  journey  oflf  ? 

Besides  these  few  troops,  the  visible  government  only 
consisted,  as  has  been  stated,  of  a  Turkish  Pashk  (changed 
every  year)  at  Jerusalem,  at  Acre,  and  at  Beyroot ;  of 
a  Turkish  k&di,  or  judge,  in  each  principal  town ;  and  of 
a  few  troops  of  irregular  horse  or  Bashi-bozuk. 

And  yet  the  answer  is  simple.  The  plan  was  to 
govern  the  country  through  the  local  factions  and  by 
means  of  the  local  or  native  chiefs,  civil  and  religious. 
Every  tribe,  and  clan,  and  village,  had  its  ruling  Shaikhs 
or  Elders ;  these  were  confirmed  in  office  under  the 
Turkish  Pashk  for  the  time  being,  and  continued  their 
administration  of  local  affairs  as  heretofore,  according  to 
the  local  and  native  codes,  subject  only  to  appeal  to 
the  city  courts  and  Turkish  authorities ;  and  these  courts 
very  rarely  ventiured  to  contravene  the  codes  of  law  in 
use  among  the  peasantry,  which  are  extremely  ancient, 
though  unwritten. 

In  thus  governing  the  country,  the  Turks  only  do 
what  eastern  rulers  had  done  before  them  from  time  im- 
memorial— ^indeed,  we  may  go  back  to  the  days  of  the 
Eomans,  Syrians,  Greeks,  Persians,  and  Nebuchadnezzar 
himself,  and  find  that  Palestine  was  governed  in  a  pre- 
cisely similar  fashion  by  them  all.  '  Divide  et  impera '  is 
an  ancient  motto. 

The  system  of  local  self-government  has  this  great 
merit,  that  it  is  a  cheap  one,  costing  but  httle  in  men, 
money,  or  appliances  of  office;  that  it  is  elastic,  and 
adapts  itself  to  all  the  various  races  and  religions  under 


I 


SYSTEM  OF  SELF-GOVERNMENT.  221 

the  supreme  rule,  and  leaves  them  all  in  the  enjoyment 
of  their  various  customs  and  observances,  without  being 
harassed  by  successive  changes,  as  the  conquerors  and 
rulers  change. 

Centrahsation  was  unknown ;  each  community  lived 
apart  and  independent,  provided  only  that  lawful  taxes 
and  illegal  exactions  were  paid  when  demanded. 

The  religious  communities  which  were  not  governed 
by  the  KorAn,  i.e.  those  of  all  the  various  Christian 
Churches — and  the  Jews,  valued  the  freedom  and  im- 
munity from  annoyance  in  administering  their  own  affairs 
which  this  system  gave  them. 

Each  ruling  Patriarch,  Bishop,  or  Chief  Babbi,  after 
having  been  confirmed  in  office  by  the  Turkish  Govern- 
ment, was  henceforth  regarded  as  the  responsible  head 
of  his  people,  in  civil  as  well  as  in  religious  matters. 

He  was  held  answerable  for  their  good  conduct,  for  ^ 
the  payment  of  their  taxes,  for  their  crimes  real  or  ^ 
alleged  (until  the  reforms  granted  by  Sultan  Abdu'l  Mejid 
gave  him  personal  immunity  for  all  but  his  own  personal 
offences,  he  was  actually  liable  to  punishment,  imprison- 
ment,  fine,  or  death,  on  behalf  of  his  people).  In  return, 
and  to  save  trouble,  and  endless  disputes  as  to  religious 
technicalities  or  difficulties,  he  was  allowed  to  exercise 
almost  despotic  authority  over  his  people  in  all  matters, 
civil  and  religious. 

True,  the  individual  members  of  any  Church  or  com- 
munity had  always  the  power  and  right  of  appeal  to  the 
Pashk,  or  to  the  Kftdi  as  judge  of  Kor&n  law,  but  this  was 
very  seldom  resorted  to. 
/  People   preferred   to   be  under  the  jurisdiction  of 


ly" 


I 


222  RELIGIOUS  TOLERATION. 

their  own  head,  to  bringing  the  interference  of  a  Moslem 
authority  into  their  affairs ;  and  there  was  this  further 
consideration,  that  the  Pashk  or  K&di  might,  while  pro- 
fessing to  do  justice,  seize  the  opportunity  for  extorting 
money  from  both  the  accuser  and  the  accused,  if  not  from 
the  whole  community  to  which  they  belonged.  It  was 
generally  wiser  and  safer  to  suffer  wrong,  than  to  cany  a 
cause  to  the  unbehever  for  trial  and  redress. 

It  was  commonly  said  by  those  who  lived  in  Palestine, 
that  under  the  Turks  there  was  liberty  of  religion ;  but 
that  if  Eussia  or  the  Pope  ever  came  to  have  rule  in 
Palestine  there  would  be  none. 
^  All  creeds  were  tolerated  alike — ^Latins  as  well  as 
Greeks,  Jews  as  well  as  Christians,  Druzes  and  Heathen, 
with  Protestant  missionaries  who  were  allowed  to  exercise 
their  office  freely  among  them  all,  without  let  or  hin- 
drance, save  when  some  Pashk,  or  K&di,  or  other  official, 
was  bribed  by  the  opposite  sect  or  religious  party  to 
impede  the  movements  of  their  opponents,  or  to  aid  in 
their  intolerance  of  any  proselytism  among  their  own 
particular  flock  or  body  of  believers. 

Imprisonment,  or  fine,  or  persecution,  was  not  re- 
sorted to  by  the  Turkish  officials  ki  religious  matters, 
save  when  instigated  by  some  one  more  zealous  than  they. 

Of  course  we  are  not  now  speaking  oi^ases  of  con- 
version from  Mohammedanism  to  Christianity,  which 
were  then  scarcely  ever  known  to  occur.  Theite  were  in 
the  days  when  steam  communication  was  barel^kpown ; 
when  telegraphs  did  not  exist ;  when  Constantinomt  was 
very  far  off,  and  when  it  took  even  a  Pashk  many  \\\ks 
to  reach  the  capital. 


EDICTS  OF  EEPORM.  223 

Abuses  of  course  were  possible,  and  did  exist.     The 
Shaikhs  and  Chiefs,  and  the  Eeligious  Eulers,  could  and  )u 
did  tyrannise  over  their  people,  some  more  and  some  less. 
There  was  naturally  a  great  deal  of  religious  intolerance.'^ 
The  Chief  Kabbi  or  Patriarch  could  imprison,  fine,  punish 
with  bastinado,  any  wanderer  from  the  fold. 

This,  religious  intolerance  it  was  which,  being  in- 
creasingly practised  by  the  religious  rulers  of  the  different 
creeds,  at  last  gradually  broke  down  the  system,  by 
rendering  appeal  to  the  Supreme  Government  necessary 
for  protection  in  cases  of  conversion  from  one  creed  to 
another. 

Eeligious  hberty  was  obtained  chiefly  through  Lord 
Stratford  de  Eedcliffe,  who,  by  representing  to  the  Otto-  - 
man  Government  the  persecutions,  contrary  to  law,  which 
had  become  common  under  the  system  now  described, 
gradually  obtained  for  all  religions  and  classes  aUke — 
Moslem,  Jew,  and  Christian — the  successive  edicts  of 
toleration  and  reform  which  were  known  as  the  Hatti- 
Shereef  of  Gul  Hane  in  1838;  the  Tanzim&t  Hairlyeh, 
1841 ;  and  Hatti-Humayoon  in  1856. 

Strange  to  say,  the  religious  persecutors  of  whom 
foreign  missionaries  had  most  occasion  to  complain  were 
the  Christians,  who,  in  order  to  stifle  progress,  or  hinder 
proselytism,  did  not  hesitate  to  invoke  the  aid  of  the 
Moslem  authorities  in  annoying  and  even  maltreating  mis- 
sionaries and  insubordinate  members  of  their  own  flock. 

Appeal  to  the  supreme  authority,  and  to  the  princi- 
ples of  justice  on  which  the  Turkish  laws  were  based, 
became  inevitable.  Lord  Stratford  de  Eedclifle  it  was 
who  gave  effect  to  these  appeals,  and  obtained  the  pro- 


224  THE  MOSLEM  THEORT. 

mulgation  of  tte  edicts  of  toleration,  whereby  the  tyrann; 
of  local  authorities,  Christian  and  Jewiah,  as  well  as  Moa 
lem,  was  checked. 
—  Then,  gradually,  centralisation  crept  in.  Appeal  t( 
Constantinople  became  possible,  and  common,  as  nev 
laws  were  gradually  put  into  force,  and  as  coramunicatior 
became  easier.  New  codes  of  laws  were  adopted ;  new 
mixed  tribunals  were  instituted,  and  thus  radical  change; 
were  made. 

Many  of  these  changes  are  entirely  at  variance  in 
principle  with  that  theory  of  government  according  tc 
which  Moslems,  as  the  only  true  believers,  had  the  pre- 
eminence over  Christians  and  Jews  (who  could  here- 
tofore claim  no  more  than  toleration),  and  over  the 
heathen  (to  whom  no  other  choice  could  be  lawftilly 
offered  than  Islfim  or  death). 

This  Moslem  theory  of  course  is  based  upon  the  doc- 
trine that  the  Law  of  the  Korfin  must  be  paramount — 
that  the  Supreme  Head  of  the  State  is  he  whom  his 
Moslem  subjects  recognise,  de  facto  or  dejure,  to  be  the 
'Khallf- Allah' — the  Caliph-Vicegerent  of  God,  as  suc- 
cessor of  the  Prophet  Mohammed. 

But  even  under  the  old  system — ^before  the  new  codes 
were  thought  of,  and  while  the  Korfin  was  stiU  the  only 
reci^nised  standard  of  right — substantial  justice  could 
always  be  obtdned  by  firmness  on  the  part  of  the  British 
authorities. 


225 


CHAPTEE  IX. 

STATE  OP  THE  COUNTRY. 

Orifiis  BB  to  Turkiah  dominion  was  expected  in  1868 — Peasantry  or  Fettahheen 
— Kais  and  Yemen  Actions — Abu  Gosh  clan — ^'Othman  el  Tjahhftm  of  Bait 
At4b  and  his  &ction— Mohammed  ' Abd-en-Nebi  and  l^mmer  el  'Amleh 
— ^Mualehh  of  Bait  Jibreen — ^*Abderrahhnmn  el  Amer  of  Hebron — ^Nabloos 
(Shechem) — Its  rival  dans — ^Tokan  and  'Abdul  Hady — Peasant  War- 
fore — ^Thftr  or  Blood  revenge — Dissension — Legend  of  the  Devil  and  his 
son^-Stirring  up  Action  fight — Influence  of  the  Shaikhs — ^Hafiz  Pashi 
of  Jerusalem — Hebron  troubles  in  1852 — ^The  Austrian  and  British  Oon- 
suls  go  thither  to  succour  the  Jews — ^'AbderrahhmHn  el  'Amer  dis- 
misses the  Turkish  Qovemor — ^Terror  of  the  people — Nabloos  district 
&nd  the  North  also  disturbed — Oousular  visits  to  those  districts — State 
of  the  country  in  1853  when  visited — ^I^hting — ^Truce  effected  by  the 
Pashi. 

In  order  to  obtain  an  adequate  idea  of  the  state  of  Pales- 
tine when  the  war  broke  out,  we  must  go  back  a  little, 
and  learn  various  incidents  that  had  occurred  before, 
among  the  clans  which  compose  the  agricultural  popula- 
tion— that  is  to  say,  the  native  Fellahheen. 

By  the  commencement  of  1853  everbody  felt  that 
some  serious  crisis  was  at  hand  in  respect  to  Turkish 
dominion  in  Palestine.  In  Europe,  people  naturally 
thought  more  of  the  coming  war  as  affecting  Constanti- 
nople ;  but  in  Palestine  it  was  well  understood  that  Jeru- 
salem was  the  ultimate  object  of  contention. 

Europeans,  of  course,  were  divided  in  opinion  as  to 
the  probable  results  if  the  *  sick  man '  should  die,  or 

VOL.  I.  Q 


226  KAIS  AND  YEMETJ  FACTIONS- 

should  be  made  to  die ;  but  the  Moslem  Arabs/  although 
sharing  in  the  undefined  apprehensions  felt  by  others, 
were  prepossessed  by  one  idea  only — ^the  hope  of  deli- 
verance from  the  '  rapacious  and  filthy '  rule  of  the  Turk- 
ish Pashks  (such  were  exactly  the  expressions  used  by 
them).    To  the  Sultan  they  were  loyal. 

The  peasantry  of  Palestine — ^the  FeUahheen — ^have 
their  factions  and  family  alliances,  which  serve  either  to 
divide  or  to  bind  them  together,  independently  of  the 
Turkish  supremacy. 

Of  the  largest  form  of  class-separation  into  'Kais* 
and  *  Yemeni,'  they  are  themselves  unable  to  give  any 
reasonable  account;  but  the  distinction  certainly  goes 
back  at  least  to  the  early  ages  of  the  Arabian  conquest 
of  Syria  in  the  seventh  century.  The  Yemeni  is  said 
by  some  to  refer  to  a  faction  fi:om  Yemen  or  Southern 
Arabia,  and  the  Kais  to  a  more  northern  body  from  that 
peninsula,  who  are  mentioned  in  the  biographies  of  Mo- 
hammed and  his  successors.^  This,  nevertheless,  would 
not  prove  that  the  actual  partisans  now-a-days  are  strictly 
descendants  from  those  hosts  of  invaders,  but  only  that 
/  their  forefethers  adhered  to  either  the  E^ais  or  Yemeni 
warriors,  as  they  appeared  on  the  scene,  and  became  their 
feudatories. 

These  designations,  however,  exist  likewise  in  the 
Lebanon  mountains  among  the  Druzes,  where  bitterest 

^  See  antOf  p.  200  et  seg,,  for  a  description  of  this  class  of  the  population. 

^  This  idea  seems  confirmed  by  the  following  passage  in  Palgrave's 
'  Arabia/  vol.  i.  p.  456.  *  The  tribe  of  Kenanah  from  which  he  (Mahomet) 
was  sprung,  was  near  akin  to  that  of  KeySf  and  both  were  descended  from 
Nezar,  whose  very  name  was  the  war-cry  of  the  northern  Arabs  in  thdr 
combats  with  the  armies  of  Yemen, 


/ 


THEIR  COLOUBS.  227 

hostilities  were  long  carried  on  between  them,  until  the 
Kaislyeh  were  crushed,  with  the  famous  Fakh'r-ed-Deen 
as  their  champion. 

In  the  South  of  Palestine  the  feuds  imder  those  names 
are  still  in  vigour.  Our  Kaisiyeh  profess  (and  this  is  all 
they  have  to  say  on  the  subject)  that  they  derive  their 
appellation  from  their  being  *  hardened '  against  the  Mo- 
hammedan creed  at  its  first  promulgation,  and  therefore 
the  last  to  accept  it — an  evidence,  they  say,  of  their  natural 
hardihood. 

The  men  are  distinguished  by  their  turbans,  the 
Kaislyeh  wearing  them  striped  of  dark  red  and  yellow ; 
but  the  Yemenlyeh  striped  of  pink  upon  white ;  and  in 
their  pride  the  former  boast  that  dark-coloured  horses 
are  stronger  than  the  paler  coloured — also,  that  even 
dark-coloured  cocks  of  the  village  dunghills  always  con- 
quer their  paler  opponents ;  and  as  for  warfare,  they  assert 
that  the  Kaisi  Mohammed  'Abd  en  Nebi  el  'Amleh,  though 
mustering  but  four  hundred  men,  is  always  victorious 
over  Abu  Gosh  the  Yemeni,^  with  his  much  larger  re- 
sources. If  true  at  any  time,  this  can  only  be  so  within 
his  own  rocky  wilderness,  where  it  is  difficult  to  pursue 
him. 

In  some  viHages,  such  as  Malhhah,  SW.  of  Jerusa- 
lem, and  others,  the  people  are  divided,  some  being  of 
Kais  and  others  of  Yemeni,  ranged,  when  called  out  for 
fightiag^  under  the  opposite  banners  of  those  factions, 
across  their  own  street. 

There  are  some  differences  between  them  in  their 
dialect  of  Arabic :  among  other  su<di,  the  Kaislyeh  pro- 
nounce the  letter  Mf  like  hard  g^  as  the  Bedaween  do. 

(l2 


228  itlVAL  LEADERS, 

These  factjoiw  aire  mOTeoYfir.  su^  into  what 

may  have  been  originally  &mily  dans,  audi.fla  the.  Beni 
I^lik,  the  Beni  Murrah,  the  Beni  Salim,  each  occupying 
now  a  few  villages  in  groups,  and  rivalling  each  other  for 
possession  of  land.  These  all  have  their  own  old  grudges 
*  to  feed  fat/  and  they  omit  no  opportunity  of  rushing  into 
hostilities  on  that  or  blood-feud  account. 

The  country  had  remained  tolerably  quiet  since  the 
repressive  measures  employed  by  the  Kubrusli  Pashk  in 
August,  1846,  when  the  rival  leaders  in  local  distur- 
bances, Hhaj  Mustafa  Abu  Gosh,  Mohammed  'Abd  en 
Nebi  (sumamed  El  'Amleh,  of  the  territory  between  the 
latter  and  that  of  Hebron),  'Abderrahhmftn  Amer,  of 
Hebron,  and  Muslehh  el  Azizi,  of  Bait  Jibreen,  were 
shipped  off  into  exile. 

So  independent  of  each  other  were  some  of  these 
men  that,  as  I  learned  from  the  last-named  of  them  in 
after  years,  he  had  never  seen  Abu  Gosh  till  they  .met> 
both  in  chains,  on  board  the  Shakhtoor^  which  conveyed 
them  to  Turkey  by  sea  from  Jaffa;  but  in  1853  these 
worthies  had  returned  to  their  several  districts  and  their 
ancient  mode  of  Hfe,  as  Shaikhs,  or  Chiefs,  of  their  respec- 
tive clans. 

It  will  help  us  to  a  better  understanding  of  the  transac- 
tions of  the  period  if  we  revert  to  the  personal  histories 
of  these  disturbers  of  the  public  peace.  Let  it  be  remem- 
bered that  we  are  now  speaking  of  the  agricultural  popu- 
lation— the  Fellahheen — with  their  tribes,  or  clans. 

First  we  have  the  Abu  Gosh  party,  the  one  that  seems 
to  be  named  correctly  a  Sept,  or  Clan.  The  name  Abu 
Gosh  ifl  by  interpretation  '  The  Father  of  Deceit,'  an  evil 


A]BtJ  GOSH  CLAN.  22 & 

title  if  considered  in  relation  to  iim  of  whom  we  are  told 
that '  when  he  speaketh  a  lie,  he  speaketh  of  his  own,  for 
he  is  a  har,  and  the  father  of  it '  (John  viii.  44).  The 
village  which  this  chief  holds  as  his  capital  is  Kuriet  el 
'Aneb  (commonly  called  El  Kurieh,  i.e.  The  Village)^  the 
Kiriath  Jearim  of  Scripture,  and  to  my  mind  beyond  all 
doubt  the  place  which  gave  the  name  to  the  traitor 
Judas,  he  being  Ish-Kiriath,  or  *  man  of  Kiriath,'  softened 
in  Greek  into  Iscariot.^ 

The  village  is  situated  alongside  the  high  road  of  Jaffa 
to  Jerusalem,  at  the  distance  of  three  hours  from  the 
latter,  in  a  position  commanding  a  long  view  of  travellers 
and  pilgrims  on  their  approach,  the  road  passing  almost 
within  musket-shot  of  the  houses,  and  between  them  is  a 
deserted  Christian  church,  stiU  standing,  the  small  win- 
dows of  which  may  serve  well  for  loop-holes  or  embra- 
sures. To  all  common  appearance  the  village  is  well 
built,  and  has  a  pleasant  aspect.  The  cultivation  of  the 
hills  around  is  exceptionally  good — superior,  indeed,  to 
any  other  on  that  hne  of  road.  Quietness  and  repose 
seem  to  characterise  the  place. 

The  head  man  there  responsible  to  the  Government 
was  Ahhmad  'Abderrahhm&n  (say  in  1852t-3),  and  he  was 
the  Shait&n,  or  source  of  all  evil  counsels:  while  the 
right  hand  of  the  clan,  the  fighting  man,  was  his  nephew, 
Hhaj  Mustafa,  a  person  of  commanding  presence,  the 
same  who  had  been  exiled  by  the  Kubrusli  Pashk,  and 
had  now  returned.  The  former  was  old,  and  weazened  in 
appearance,  *  the  least  erected  epirit,'  whose  *  looks  were 

'  W  e  hKve  somewhat  pimilar  fprniB  of  name  in  Ish  Tob,  2  Sam.  z.  6|aiid 
Ish  Bobheth,  etc. 


230  A  WOMAN'S  SARCASM. 

always  downwards  bent/  and  was  always  twitching  the 
comers  of  his  mouth,  pale  of  face,  and  dressed  in  white. 

All  the  families  of  th^  village  were  said  to  be,  and 
that  with  great  probability,  of  the  same  kith  and  kin  as 
their  leader,  most  of  them  remarkable  for  a  pale  com- 
plexion, attributable  to  their  Circassian  origin.  The  Sept 
of  Abu  Gosh  is  derived  from  some  Circassian  Memlooks, 
who  accompanied  Sultan  Selim  to  Jerusalem,  a.d.  1516. 

They  laid  hold  of  a  village  named  Bait  L4kia,  at  the 
mouth  of  Wadi  SulimS^n,  leading  eastwards  off  the  Plain 
of  Sharon  among  the  hills.  They  multipUed  for  a  long 
period,  and  domineered  over  the  adjacent  district. 

Among  the  parties  who  were  made  to  feel  their  influence 
were  the  Beni  Amer,  their  neighbours,  situated  between 
*Amw&s  and  Eas  Kerker,  from  whom,  among  other  items 
of  tribute,  one  bride  a  year  was  exacted. 

One  day  at  Bait  L&kia,  some  of  the  peasant  women 
were  chatting  near  the  well,  when  a  youth  (one  of  these 
Memlooks)  passed  by,  on  which  one  of  the  women  instantly 
covered  her  mouth  with  her  sleeve,  a  custom  indicatibg 
respect  or  reserve  in  the  presence  of  superiors. 

Some  men  of  the  village,  observing  this,  said,  *  Why 
are  you,  then,  shy  before  that  boy,  when  you  are  not  so  in 
our  company  ? '  She  replied,  *  It  is  only  proper  to  do  so ' — 
then  adding  in  a  sarcastic  tone,  ^  for  these  are  the  people 
who  take  brides  from  the  Beni  Amer,'  and  raising  her 
voice,  *  Are  you  men,  who  suffer  yourselves  to  be  put 
down  by  them  ?  Why,  that  boy  is  more  of  a  man  than 
any  or  all  of  you.' 

Stung  to  the  quick  they  went  and  concerted  mea- 
sures with  the  Beni  Amer,  which  resulted  in  a  massacre 


S:tJRtEl?  EL  ^ANEB  THElE  CAPITAL.  23l 

< 

of  the  usurping  Abu  Gosh  strangers,  leaving  but  one 
survivor,  and  he  was  named  Muhammed.  This  man 
went  and  settled  at  Kaloneh,  or  occasionally  at  Soba, 
and  after  some  years  succeeded  in  getting  a  wife  from 
Mkia,  by  whom  he  had  several  sons. 

One  of  these,  named  Jaboor,  became  afterwards  a 
temporary  governor  of  Jerusalem,  and  his  son,  Besheer, 
was  still  living  in  1853,  and  later,  at  the  stronghold  of 
his  clan,  Kuriet  el  'Aneb. 

Another  of  these  sons  was  father  of  our  Hhaj  Mustafa ; 
and  a  third,  named  'Abderrahhmfi.n,  was  father  of  the 
Ahhmad,  here  described  as  the  *  Shaitftn,'  or  Devil  of 
the  lot ;  the  one  responsible  to  the  Turkish  Oovemment. 

The  next  event  in  their  history  was  their  invaaion  of 
Kuriet  el  'Aneb,  and  settlement  in  the  village  and  lands, 
from  which  they  expelled  a  family  named  B'khakhrah, 
and  successively  all  the  families  around. 

After  that  they  made  incursions  upon  the  Beni  Amer, 
repeatedly  destroying  their  villages.  Keb&b,  on  the  edge 
of  the  Plain  of  Sharon,  they  twice  levelled  with  the  ground, 
but  it  has  been  rescued  from  them  and  rebuilt.  Three 
other  villages  near  'Amw&s  they  still  retain.  Kuriet  el 
'Aneb,  however,  is  their  home  and  stronghold. 

We  find  the  Abu  Gosh  chief  stigmatised  as  a  lawless 
robber  and  levier  of  black  maU  in  books  of  travels  for  a 
considerable  time  previous  to  our  epoch :  that  is  to  say, 
having  grasped  hold  of  the  village  of  Kuriet  el  'Aneb,  he 
took  opportunity,  from  the  extreme  exhaustion  and  irre- 
gularity of  the  Turkish  rule,  to  levy  *  ghuf 'r,'  or  toll,  from 
passengers  to  the  holy  places,  just  as  others  did  in  other 
localities,  and  as  Bedaween  Shaikhs  still  do  in  their  wil- 


232  ABU  GOSH  WARDEN  OF  THE  EOAD. 

dernesses,  with  the  difference,  however,  of  his  ghuf 'r  being 
particulaxly  p2X)fitable  on  account  of  the  frequent  passing 
along  the  road  of  pilgrims  and  traders  from  Jaffa,  and 
also  on  account  of  the  rich  presents  made  to  him  by 
French  and  other  travellers  (see  Chateaubriand,  Lamar- 
tine,  etc.). 

Common  pilgrims  were  allowed  to  pass  toU-frBe, 
in  consideration  of  a  large  annual  subsidy  derived  from 
the  Jerusalem  Convents,  besides  irregular  and  forced 
presents  from  the  same.  The  Turkish  governors  at  that 
time  were  unable,  and  perhaps  even  unwilling,  to  stop 
this  thoroughly  Oriental  practice,  notwithstanding  the 
grumbling  of  Europeans ;  but  with  the  Egyptian  invasion 
it  was  swept  off  at  once,  and  the  road  kept  free  by  mili- 
tary force. 

On  the  return  of  the  Turks,  Abu  Gosh  lifted  up  his  head 
once  more,  but  the  new  government,  on  the  representa- 
tion of  the  Europeans,  as  it  would  seem,  appointed  him 
to  the  nominal  office  of  *  Warden  of  the  Boad,'  from  the 
walls  of  Jerusalem  to  the  Plain  of  Sharon,  i.e.  the  whole 
hilly  road,  including  the  Wadi  'M,  for  which  he  was 
allowed  a  salary  of  forty  thousand  piastres  (above  400/.) 
a  year,  and  exemption  from  taxes  on  the  three  villages 
he  possessed  near  Amw&s,  '  on  the  plain '  (which  was 
famous  in  the  Maccabasan  annals). 

How  far  'Abu  Gosh  ought  to  have  been  trusted  with 
such  an  office  while  clan- vengeance  held  its  claims  among 
the  population  as  a  duty  of  primary  obligation,  appeared 
in  1843,  when,  on  the  festival  of  Bairam,  the  two 
brothers,  Ibn  Simhhan,  governors  of  Lydd,  and  Kamlah, 
were  coming  up  to  salute  the  Pashk  of  Jerusalem ;  they 


ASSASSINATION.      ABU  GOSH  PUNISHED.  233 

being  not  only  Arab  Shaikhs,  but  officers  also  of  Turkish 
administration,  travelling  upon  the  very  highway  of  which 
their  foe,  Abu  Gosh,  was  the  salaried  keeper  under  their 
superiors. 

They  had  too  rashly  adventiu:ed  themselves,  with 
but  a  few  attendants,  within  his  limits;  and  at  a  con- 
tracted part  of  the  road,  which  the  writer  knows  right 
well,  the  party  was  stopped  by  a  large  force  from  the 
*Kurieh,'  and  commanded  to  dismount  and  lay  down 
their  arms.  The  brothers  were  instantly  deserted  by 
their  afirighted  pedestrian  followers,  and  shot  dead. 

The  murderers  had  the  corpses  carried  to  their  village, 
about  a  mile,  and  sent  on  a  messenger  to  Jerusalem  an- 
nouncing what  they  had  done.  The  bodies  were  left  to  lie 
unburied,  in  that  country  considered  to  be  a  profanation  of 
humanity  or  decency,  and  were  then  interred  among  the 
oUve  trees  opposite  the  village,  within  view  of  Abu  Gosh's 
windows,  but  no  memorial  marks  the  spot — ^it  is  known 
only,  as  well  as  that  of  the  assassination,  by  popular  tra- 
dition. 

This  matter  continued  unpunished  until  the  seizure 
and  deportation  of  the  criminal,  in  1846,  by  the  KubrusU 
Pashk,  by  means  of  a  stratagem  outwitting  even  the 
*  father  of  deceit.' 

In  1848  a  scientific  expedition  of  the  United  States 
of  America  was  returning  from  the  Jordan  and  Dead 
Sea,  their  task  there  being  completed.  On  the  way  sea- 
wards, the  surveyors  were  taking  levels  and  angles  right 
and  left  of  the  highway,  but  were  stopped  and  threat- 
ened, under  a  claim  of  ghuf 'r,  by  another  of  the  family, 
llhaj  Yusuf  Abu  Gosh :  rather  a  venturous  proceeding, 


234  INSOLENT  CONDUCT. 

seeing  that  the  Americans  were  strong  hardy  men,  and 
all  armed  with  excellent  revolvers. 

As  the  expedition  in  all  its  proceedings  had  been 
placed  under  English  protection,  notice  of  this  unex- 
pected turn  of  affairs  was  forwarded  to  us,  and  I  being 
out  on  the  same  road  for  an  excursion,  was  speedily  on 
the  scene,  arguing  with  Hhaj  Yusuf  under  the  lemon 
trees  of  Kaldneh. 

After  being  shown  the  Musheer's  '  Buyuruldi '  from 
Beyroot,  he  lowered  his  tone  into  a  threat  of  not  suffering 
the  Arab  guide  from  the  Dead  Sea  to  earn  money  by 
conducting  the  officers  over  his  territory ;  he  swore  tre 
mendously  to  this  effect,  and  half  drew  out  his '  scymitar, 
returning  it  to  the  scabbard  with  a  violent  clank ;  on 
which  I  rose  and  left  a  kaww^  to  attend  upon  the  sur 
veyors,  while  I  returned  to  town  to  report  to  Zareef 
Pashk.  In  one  month  more  Hhaj  Yusuf  was  also  on  his 
way  to  Constantinople,  and  some  years  after  died  in 
exile  at  Widdin. 

In  1851  Hhaj  Mustafa  was  allowed  to  return  on 
having  paid  the  *  Deeyeh '  or  blood-fine  to  the  family  of 
Ibn  Simhh4n — ^he  was  thus  completely  absolved,  and  he 
assumed  his  position  among  respectable  people. 

It  will  be  a  happy  day  when  (or  if)  the  Turkish,  or 
any  good  government,  become  strong  enough  to  garrison 
for  themselves  the  Kuriet  el  'Aneb,  as  a  permanent  mili- 
tary post;  for  it  is  an  important  one,  lying  between  a 
region  of  barren  rocks  and  deep  valleys  on  the  side 
towards  Jerusalem,  and  the  steep  broken  glen  of  Wadi 
*Ali  in  the  opposite  direction.  Yet  a  European  force 
practised  either  in  Algeria,  or  the  Caucasus,  or  in  Abys- 


'OTHMAN  EL  LEHHAm,  NIMMER  EL  'AMLEH.       235 

sinia,  would  make  exceedingly  light  matter  of  the  whole 
hne  of  road. 

The  Abu  Gosh  family  still  kept  up  a  decided  ascen- 
dancy among  the  rural  factions  by  means  of  their  wealth, 
their  local  position,  and,  above  all,  by  their  union  among 
theigaelvea;  but  found  it  necessary  to  keep  their  own 
dependants  and  allies  in  rough  exercise  upon  some  pre- 
text or  other,  in  order  not  to  lose  their  old  prestige.  A 
subject  for  quarrel  was  always  at  hand  in  contesting  with 
'Othm&n  el  Lehh&m,  of  the  contiguous  'Arkoob  district 
southwards,  for  supremacy  over  the  Beni  Hhassan  villages 
on  their  confines. 

This  'OthmS.n  Was  a  mere  coarse,  hard-headed  peasant, 
with  the  village  of  Bait  'At4b  for  his  home  and  the  sur- 
rounding district  for  his  territory. 

Southwards  again  was  the  more  desolate  region  pre- 
sided over  by  Mohammed  'Abd  en  Nebi  el  'Amleh,  a 
man  so  frequently  engaged  in  hostihties,  and  so  accurate 
a  marksman  as  to  have  earned  the  appellation  of  *Azrael* 
(the  Angel  of  Death).  His  country  is  so  hilly  and 
scorching  hot,  as  I  know  by  experience,  as  to  be  iU 
adapted  to  formal  military  operations,  and  I  do  not 
believe  that  any  Tiurkish  soldiers,  regular  or  irregular, 
can  ever  have  been  on  duty  there  during  my  seventeen 
years'  knowledge  of  Palestine.  This  man,  however,  and 
his  people  were  free  from  the  brutal  cruelties  of  other 
warriors,  and  were  noted  for  their  generous  hospitality. 

Mohammed  'Abd  en  Nebi,  with  his  cousin,  Nimmer 
el  Amleh,  and  his  neighbour  again  to  the  south,  Muslehh 
el  Azizi,  the  giant  of  Bait  Jebreen,  and  chief  of  his  own 
special  district,  were  always  ready  for  a  scrimmage^  and 


A 


236  HEBRON. 

thiis  were  of  importance  to  be  thrown  into  the  scale 
of  any  rural  contention ;  but  the  latter  had  generally 
sufficient  employment  in  repelling  inroads  of  Southern 
Bedaween. 

Besides  this  continuous  line  of  annoyance-giving 
Shaikhs,  extending  from  Kuriet  el  'Aneb  to  Bait  Jibreen, 

« 

the  Fashk  had  always  two  other  territories  demanding 
vigilance  and  diplomacy  rather  than  force  (which  is 
almost  always  an  agent  kept  out  of  the  calculation) :  and 
these  two  are  Hebron  a^rid  Nablobs.       *^ 

1.  Hebron,  which  was  chronically  plagued  with  the 
atrocities  of  'Abderrahhm4n  el  Amer  in  resisting  the 
government,  or  in  carrying  on  dissensions  among  his 
brotherhood  of  Sel&meh,  Ahhmad,  Hhusain,  Amer,  and 
Mohammed. 

The  family  of  Amer  belongs  to  Dura,  a  village  two 
hours'  distance  from  Hebron,  and  *Abderrahhmftn  was 
the  foul,  bull-necked  leader  among  them. 

Scarcely  had  the  news  of  the  bombardment  of  Acre 
(1840)  reached  Jerusalem  and  Hebron,  than  *Abder- 
rahhm&n  rode  into  the  latter  town,  and  meeting  the  local 
governor,  'Abd  el  JowwM  (who  held  office  under  the 
Egyptians),  in  the  street,  he  drew  his  khanjar  (short 
sword)  and  cut  him  down  at  a  blow,  and  then  strode 
across  the  corpse,  and  waving  aloft  his  blood-stained  sword, 
he  proclaimed  the  reign  of  his  lawful  Sultan  of  Turkey, 
whose  name  he  thus  profaned  by  using  it  for  his  own 
pui-poses  of  ambition,  greed,  and  vengeance. 

He  then  passed  on  to  Jerusalem,  repaired  to  the 
Mahhkameh,  and  waving  his  scymitar  over  the  Kadi  s 
head,  demanded  from  him  a  legal  decision  in  writing  to 


'abderbahfimAn  el  amer,    nabloos,        237 

the  oiFect  that  it  is  dutifiil  and  meritorious  to  slay  any 
traitor  to  the  true  Sovereign  and  Caliph  of  the  holy 
religion.  Armed  with  this  he  rode  back  to  Hebron 
and  constituted  himself  governor  there. 

The  K&di  meanwhile  repaired  to  the  Mufti,  and  to 
him  made  a  declaration  of  the  circumstances  under  which 
the  document  had  been  extorted  from  him,  intended  by 
the  perpetrator  to  justify  the  slaughter  of  a  civilian  not 
engaged  in  hostilities. 

From  that  time  'Abderrahhm^n  maintained  himself 
as  *  virtual  monarch  of  all  he  surveyed '  until  the  expedi- 
tion of  Kubrusli  Pashk  in  1846.  He  was  suffered,  how- 
ever, to  return  home  in  a  year  or  two,  where  he  resumed 
his  career  of  oppressing  the  peasantry,  plundering  the 
helplesis  Jews  in  Hebron,  and  even  employing  agents  to 
rob  travellers  upon  the  roads. 

2.  J^abloos,  anciently  Shechem,  is  the  capital  of  Cen- 

« 

tral  Palestine,  and  ranks  next  after  Jerusalem  in  import- 
ance. It  is  itself  a  peculiar  locality.  The  town  is  strongly 
posted  in  the  heart  of  a  inost_f(ertile  territory,  and  is 
mostly  inhabited  by  fanatic  Modems ;  and  the  large  dis- 
trict known  as  the  *  Jebel  Nabloos '  ^  is  a  belt  of  territory 
extending  across  the  middle  of  the  map  of  Palestine,  from 
the  Mediterranean  plain  (Sharon)  to  the  Jordan  plain 
(Ghor) :  it  is  in  fact  the  country  called  Samaria  in  the 
New  Testament.  The  population  there  is  evidently  of  a 
different  race  from  that  of  other  parts  of  Palestine.  They 
are  distinguishable  by  a  mean  and  cruel  cast  of  counte- 
nance. They  wear  a  different  head-cap  (tarboosh)  from 
others.    It  is  large  and  slouched  on  one  side. 

^  Jebel  Nabloos,  t.e. '  the  Mountain  (district)  of  NaUoos,' 


238  ROUGH  PEOPLE  IN  NABLOOS  DISTRICT. 

When  the  factions  of  Jebel  Nabloos  were  at  war  with 
each  other,  their  £ghtiiig  was'more  savage  and  oiielthan 
that  of  the  clans  in  the  Jerusalem  territory,  south  and 
west. 

After  observing  the  important  part  which  the  turbu- 
lent and  fanatic  population  of  Nabloos  play  in  the  afiairs 
of  Palestine,  it  is  easy  to  understand  the  history  of  She- 
chem  and  Samaria  as  given  in  the  Old  Testament — in  the 
Book  of  Judges,  and  in  the  history  of  the  Ten  Tribes. 

In  the  spring  of  this  year,  1853,  very  large  bodies  of 
these  rough  Moslem  peasants  came  to  Jerusalem  on  pil- 
grimage, in  honour  of  Neby  Moosa.  It  was  computed 
that  one-fourth  of  the  population  of  the  Nabloos  district 
came,  on  account  of  the  thanksgiving  vows  made  in  con- 
sequence of  the  spring  rains  falling  after  long  delay  and 
drought.  The  crowds  in  Jerusalem  were  so  great  that 
the  Fashk,  fearing  a  collision  between  them  and  the 
Christian  pilgrims,  ordered  out  two  companies  of  in- 
fantry and  cleared  the  Nabloos  folk  out  of  the  street 
leading  to  the  Holy  Sepulchre. 

The  number  of  the  population  of  the  Jebel  Nabloos 
was  roughly  reckoned  at  about  30,000  Moslem  men 
capable  of  bearing  arms  ;  2,000  Christians  of  the  Greek 
rite ;  about  40  Samaritans,  and  a  very  few  Jews  (all 
these  besides  women  and  children).  The  taxes  paid  by 
this  district  were  said  to  amount  to  4,500  purses  (about 
22,000/.),  an  enormous  sum,  paid  half-yearly,  three 
months  being  consumed  each  time  in  the  collection. 

The  city  authorities  were  the  Mutesellim  or  Governor 
(also  called  Kaimakftm),  the  Mufti,  the  K&di,  the  Nakib, 
and  the  Effendis  (notables).     There  were  no  European 


PACTIONS  OF  NABLOOS.  239 

Consular  agents,  but  England  had  a  native  Christian 
agent  who  looked  after  the  interests  of  travellers  and 
of  the  Missionaries  employed  by  English  Societies  or  by 
the  Bishop. 

The  Jebel  Nabloos  was  alternately  ruled  by  Kaima- 
k&ms  taken  from  two  families  only,  both  originating  in 
the  city  itself ;  the  Pashi  being  under  the  necessity  of 
employing  in  turns  one  or  other  of  those  families,  namely, "" 
(1)  the  Tpkdn  leading  the  Jer&r,  and  inclined  rather  to 
the  old  conservative  tone  of  local  politics ;  and  (2)  the 
*Abdul  Hfidi,  seconded  by  Kfisem  el  Ahhmad  with  the 
Jayooseh  or  Eay&n  people.  This  latter  party  professed 
more  of  liberalism  in  practice,  i.e.  in  cunning  at  keeping 
up  with  Constantinople  progress,  and  bidding  for  popu- 
larity with  the  European  Consuls.  They  were,  however, 
not  to  be  trusted. 

The  Tokftn  were  considered  as  of  the  old  Turkish 
faction  or  party ;  the  'Abdul  H&di,  as  of  the  Egyptian 
school  of  prc^ess. 

Of  these  two  great  factions,  No.  2,  known  as  that  of 
'Abdul  Hddi,  was  by  far  the  strongest.  They  had 
favoured  the  Eg^tians,  and  were  even  now  looked  upon 
as  partisans  of  Egyptian  pohcy.  Their  stronghold  was  the 
fortified  village  of  Arr&beh,  south-east  from  Carmd. 

This  house  in  1849  consisted  of  four  brothers : — 

1.  Mahhmood  Bek,  the  eldest,  ruling  at  Arr&beh. 

2.  'Abdul  mdy. 

3.  'Abdu'l  Kader. 

4.  Hussain,  who  brought  in  the  Egyptians,  but  was 
afterwards  poisoned  (it  is  said)  by  the  sister  of  Ibrahim 
Fashk  (the  Egyptian  prince)  at  the  Bahajah  gardens, 


240  TOKAN  AND  'ABDITL  HAdI. 

m 

near  Acre,  for  having  secretly  accumulated  arms  in  his 
house. 

This  Hussain  had  four  sons. 

Mohanuned,  in  1849  Governor  of  Gaza,  and  after- 
wards exiled. 

Abderrahhm&n  ^ 

Salehh  •  sons  by  concubines. 

Sdeed  j 

'Abdul  Hady  was  styled  the  Bek  for  his  services  to 

the  Egyptians. 

Both  of  the  great  factions  thus  described  have 
numerous  minor  auxiliaries,  and  sometimes  fights  oc- 
curred between  some  of  the  smaller  parties,  and  the  rest 
were  gradually  drawn  m.  It  was  so  in  1848,  when  the 
two  halves  of  the  tribe  JerrSr  (which  was  then  divided, 
one  part  joinmg  each  opposite  faction)  fought,  and  the 
respective  patrons  took  their  sides. 

The  Tokftn  had  held  rule  in  Nabloos  (the  Mutesellim, 
or  Governor,  under  the  Turks,  being  of  their  house)  from 
1848  to  1851.  (They  were  considered  Turkish,  t.^.  anti- 
E^tian.) 

In  October  of  1851  fortune  turned  against  them,  and 
the  chiefe  of  the  Tok&n  and  their  ally  Shaikh  Sadek 
(Kayfin)  were  exiled  out  of  the  country. 

Their  rival  Mahhmood  'Abdu'l  Hfidi  was  then  made 
Governor  of  Nabloos.  His  brother,  'Abdul  Hfidi,  was 
given  Jeneen,  and  their  ally,  Malihmood  Kasim  el 
Ahhmed,  was  set  over  all  the  Jemaeen  (forty-seven  villages 
mostly  westwards). 

This  lasted  till  1853,  when  the  Bayfin  (on  Tok&n's  side) 
rose  again,  bribed  with  47,000  piastres,  and  half  the 


VICISSITUDES  OF  THE  FACTIONS.  241 

Jemaeen  villages  were  given  to  them,  the  Pashk  of  Jeru- 
salem giving  the  other  half  of  those  villages  to  a  Turk,  his 
pipe-bearer. 

In  July  1853  the  'Abdul  HMi  faction,  represented 
by  K4sim  el  Ahhmad,  rose  in  arms  and  fought  several 
affairs  with  the  RayS.n  of  the  opposite  ToMn  faction. 

The  Turkish  pipe-bearer  ran  away  and  took  refuge 
in  'Abdul  HMy's  house  in  Nabloos,  and  then  escaped 
to  Jerusalem. 

In  August  of  that  year,  the  Eay&n  having  been  always 
victorious,  some  of  them  came  to  Jerusalem  and  told  the 
Pashk  that,  if  he  would  give  them  leave,  they  would 
bring  their  rivals,  the  K&simites,  by  the  neck  into 
Jerusalem. 

But  now  K&sim  got  underhand  help  from  his  patron 
'Abdul  H&di,  and  utterly  put  down  the  RayS-n,  burning 
seven  villages,  and  plundering  others.  The  loss  of  hfe  to 
the  latter  was  seven,  and  forty  wounded. 

The  pipe-bearer  then  went  back  to  his  villages,  where, 
of  course,  he  was  making  a  fortune.  As  for  the  Pashk, 
he  profited  by  the  strife,  reaping  his  harvest  from  all 
parties. 

It  must  not  be  forgotten  that  both  sides  called  in 
Bedawy  allies,  from  the  Desert  beyond  Jordian,  as  the 
Beni  Sukhr,  or  the  'Adwftn,  and  from  the  western  plain 
of  Sharon,  where  the  Abu  Kishk  tribes  roam,  north  of 
Jaffa. 

(Those  between  Jaffa  and  Gteza  are  the  Suwalki, 
while  farther  south  still  is  the  great  tribe  of  the  Tiy&hah, 
the  latter  sometimes  in  alUance  with  Abu  Gosh  and  his 
faction,  as  we  have  already  soon.) 

VOL,  h  R 


242  ADHERENTS  OF  THE  FACTIONS, 

In  1854  the  house  of  Tokftn  was  once  more  in  the 
ascendant,  and  Ali  Bek  Tok&n  was  Governor  of  Nabloos — 
on  behalf  of  the  Sublime  Porte.^ 

It  is  easy  to  understand  that  whenever  the  Turkish 
^  Government  was  weak>  or  whenever  it  suited  the  Pashk, 

^  In  1864  the  state  of  Actions  about  Nabloos  was  as  follows : — 
I.  The  Tokdn  and  tbeir  auxiliaries  were, 

1.  The  Oulad  Berkh&wi,  who  are  ShaiMis  of  one  third  of  Wadi 
Sha'eer. 

2.  Sadek  of  Mejdal  Yaba  and  half  of  Belad  Jema'een;  he  presided 
oyer  twenty-two  villages.  At  that  time  he  was  in  penal  exile 
at  Trebizond,  but  his  place  was  held  by  his  brother  Moosa  abu 
Bek'r. 

^^     3.  Jerar,  of  the  Sherkawiy&t,  eighteen  villages  (half  this  tribe  joined 
with  the  opposite  faction). 
II.  The  other  flEiction  is  known  by  the  name  of  the  *  I^mmer/  and  is  led  by — 

1.  The  'Abdu'l  Hadi  commanding  the  Shaarawiyeh  east  and  west ; 
also  the  Beni  Hareth  about  Jeneen — ^total,  forty-five  villages. 

2.  Kasem  el  Ahhmad,  with  the  other  half  of  the  Belad  Jema'een, 
twenty-two  villages. 

-  8.  The  Oul&d  Jeyooseh,  or  Ra'yan,  commanding   the  Beni  S&ab, 

twenty-four  villages. 
The  patron  of  this  fsustion  is  always,  beyond  dispute,  the  'Abdul  H^  of 
the  time  being. 

The  leaders  of  both  factions  command  not  only  the  above  auxiliaries^ 
but  through  them,  of  course,  their  subordinates  also;  yet  these  villages  agtun 
\     are  split  into  partisan  families  of  hostile  sides,  to  the  hearts'  content  of  the 
\  Turkish  Gk>vemment. 

Tereitobt. 

The  Jema'een  villages  form  a  belt  across  from  the  hills  of  Nabloos  to 
OfiBsarea  and  Jaffa. 

The  Sha'arawiyeh  form  a  parallel  belt  to  the  north  of  the  above. 
Wadi  Sha'eer  is  a  belt  northwards  again. 

THE  ARABS,  OOKlCGlfLT  CALLED  BEDAWEBS, 

In  contiguity  with  the  Jebel  Nabloos  are  the  Abu  Kishk,  few  in  number, 
but  making  themselves  felt  among  the  peasantry  on  the  Plain  of  Sharon  on 
the  west. 

'  During  prolonged  hostile  operations  theSuwalki  are  called  in  from  &rther 
south,  or  the  Beni  Sukh'r,  and  the  'Adwfiln  from  beyond  Jordan  on  the  east. 

Thus  each  of  the  two  great  Actions  has  allies  among  the  wild  desert 
Arabs. 


PEASANT  WAHFAEE.  243 

for  the  time  being,  to  promote  strife,  the  Nabloos  factions 
w§re  at  open  war  with  each  other. 

The  Ottoman  Government  was  powerless  in  presence 
of  either  of  these  parties.  Indeed,  so  long  as  expe-  ^ 
diency  was  the  only  available  policy  at  Constantinople 
or  Jerusalem,  an  alternate  balancing  of  the  two  was  the 
best  course  to  adopt.  The  rivals  were  always  alike 
ready  to  declare  loyalty  to  the  Sultan,  and  to  outbid  in 
money  for  attaining  ascendancy  in  office. 

The  Effendis  of  the  Jerusalem  Coimcil  enjoyed  their 
shares  in  such  pecuniary  benefits;  and  the  successful 
competitor,  although  the  means  employed  by  him  would 
not  bear  dose  scrutiny,  was  left  at  Hberty  to  collect  his 
revenue  by  any  processes  of  extortion  or  violence  through- 
out his  territory,  which  happily  for  him  was  then  but 
little  traversed,  and  therefore  not  much  subject  to 
governmental  or  consular  inspection. 

So  much  for  the  Jebel  Nabloos  and  its  factions. 

Among  all  the  rivalries,  dissensions,  and  corruptions 
of  parties  above  described,  the  Turkish  helmsman  had 
to  steer  as  delicately  as  he  could,  without  driving  any  to 
desperation. 

The  causes  or  aims  of  peasant  warfare — the  technical 
name  for  which  is  the  '  Mi^eh ' — have  in  Palestine 
seldom  or  never  any  connection  with  government  deal-^^  / 
ings.  They  arise  either  from  lust  of  power  among  the 
Shaikhs,  or  hereditary  feuds,  or  from  vindictive  retalia- 
tion. On  the  latter  score  a  pretty  quarrel  may  be  got  up 
at  any  time;  but  Wat  Tylers  or  Massaniellos  are  un- 
known there. 

b3 


^ 


t'k  *.. 


244  'THAR'  OR  BLOOD  REVENGE. 

The  'Thar'  or  blood-revenge  is  obligatory  upon 
relatives  of  the  slain  to  the  fifth  degree  of  consanguinity, 
in  a  family  way  of  reckoning;  but  whole  villages  or 
factions  often  take  up  the  Thar  on  behalf  of  one  or  a  few 
individuals  on  their  side,  and  battles  ensue  thereupon, 
till  after  a  seiies  of  conflicts  some  third  party  comes  in 
as  mediator  (sometimes  this  is  the  Government  taking 
that  ignoble  office — ^ignoble  for  a  Government) ;  the  loss 
in  killed  is  counted  up  on  the  two  sides,  and  compensa- 
tion is  made  for  the  excess  in  the  balance,  by  money  or 
money's  worth. 

Sometimes,  however,  the  state  of  war  ends  in  a  truce 
('atweh),  renewable,  and  again  renewable  till  some  favour- 
able opportunity  occurs  of  demanding  blood,  either  on 
the  ground  of  some  failure  in  the  sureties  to  the  truce, 
or,  in  short,  any  reason  which  passion  or  false  honour 
may  invent. 

These  are  matters  with  which  Ottoman  governors 
never  interfered  authoritatively.  So  long  as  taxes  were 
paid  in  some  slovenly  manner  (usually  more  than  the 
amount  legally  due,  for  the  fellahheen  are  very  poor 
accountants),  the  people  always  disclaim  any  intention  of 
disobedience  to  the  Pashk  or  the  Sultan  (whose  name 
even  is  often  unknown). 

They  were  left  to  themselves  to  waste  human  life, 
to  impede  or  destroy  agriculture  at  their  perverse  will, 
and  so  the  country  became  a  desert ;  as  I  have  known 
the  people  of  Wad  Fokeen,  beyond  Bethlehem,  on  find- 
ing themselves  pressed  by  a  stronger  faction  than  their 
own,  cut  down  their  own  vineyards  and  orange  trees, 
nay  even  send  to  auxiliary  villages  for  help  in  destroying 


EVILS  OF  DISSENSION.     A  FABLE.  245 

their  olive  trees,  lest  they  should  become  the  property  of 
the  enemy. 

Sometimes  the  villages  are  rebuilt,  but  only  after  the 
disaster,  and  the  effect  is  thus  in  every  such  case  a  march 
backwards  in  comfort  and  civilisation. 

In  respect  of  the  ruin  so  entailed,  the  Arab  peasantry 
seem  to  differ  from  the  American  Bed  Indians.  The 
principle  of  long-cherished  revenge  is  the  same,  and  the 
methods  of  fighting,  by  keeping  up  a  battle  or  the  siege 
of  a  village  slowly,  during  successive  days,  is  the  same  ; 
but  there  is  no  resemblance  in  the  fact  of  having  corn- 
fields and  orchards  cultivated  in  the  intervals,  and  then 
having  them  destroyed  by  fire  or  the  hatchet. 

The  people  themselves  are  aware  of  the  evils  of  dis- 
sension, which  they  call  *  fas&d,'  but  a  wilful  sower  of 
dissension,  technically  called  the  *  mufsed,'  is  always  to  be 
met  with,  and  whether  by  the  ties  of  clanship,  or  by  per-vr 
sonal  thirst  for  retaliation,  the  unhappy  peasants  are  sure 

t^   K^   ^r^Vm    intn  the  VVrt^Y    at   the    r>nmmanfr   nrHmlr 


haikhs — indeed,  a  refusal  to  rise  and  join  would  expose 


them  to  bloodshed  and  ruin  from  both  sides. 

They  have  a  fable  current  among  them  illustrative  of 
this  state  of  things. 

Once  upon  a  time  the  Devil  and  his  hopefid  son  were 
passing  by  a  tranquil  village,  when  the  latter  asked  leave 
to  run  up  the  hill  (for  every  village  is,  if  possible,  built  on 
a  hill)  and  get  a  drink  of  water.  The  venerable  parent 
objected, '  because,'  said  he,  *  I  am  sure  that  you  will  stir 
up  some  mischief  there.' 

The  youth  promised  to  do  nothing  of  which  his  father 
would  not  approve ;  so  permission  was  given. 


246  HOW  STRIFE  IS  STIRRED  UP. 

Going  to  a  house,  he  begged  from  the  nearest  woman 
a  draught  of  water,  and  she  took  her  jar  to  the  well  to 
fetch  it. 

Now,  the  house  was  partitioned  between  two  famihes 
of  near  relations.  In  the  woman's  absence  the  imp 
observed  a  calf  tied  up  to  a  post,  and  he  untied  the  rope. 
The  calf  walked  into  the  other  division  of  the  house, 
where  the  women  had  been  grinding  com,  but  were  then 
absent,  and  he  ate  up  their  wheat  and  flour. 

The  women  ran  in  and  beat  the  calf;  the  other  arrived 
with  the  jar  of  water,  and  beat  those  women  for  beating 
her  calf;  the  husband  of  the  mill  woman  came  in,  ancl 
beat  the  woman  with  the  jar  of  water ;  her  husband,  on 
hearing  the  screams,  ran  up  and  beat  that  man ;  the 
people  of  the  village  ran  in  from  the  threshing-floor,  and 
took  different  sides  in  the  quarrel ;  the  whole  place  was 
in  an  uproar,  and  several  hves  were  lost. 

The  author  of  it  all  escaped,  leaving  them  at  it,  and 
on  being  reproved  by  his  father  for  bringing  needless 
trouble  about  their  ears,  quietly  said,  *  I  did  nothing  to 
the  people — I  only  saw  a  poor  little  calf  tied  up,  and  I 
set  it  at  liberty ;  but  people  are  always  ready  to  cast  their 
blame  on  us.' 

And  so  it  comes  to  pass  that,  from  perpetual  expe- 
rience, the  maxim  circulates  among  the  peasantry  in  their 
dialect, 

Esh  sh^  kod  ee  Semsemeh 
Yejeeb  el  Ehail  mulejjemeh^ 

*  A  matter  small  as  a  seed  of  sesavii  may  bring  up  horses 
with  their  bridles  on,'  Le.  may  bring  in  as  arbiters  the 
dangerous  Bedaween  forayers.  And  the  practised '  mufeed,' 


AtJTHORlTY  OP  THE  SHAIKHS.  247 

or  '  Shait&n/  on  his  side  quotes  the  other  proverb — ^  Cut 
down  a  tree  by  means  of  a  branch  from  itself.' 

Take  an  exemplification  of  the  stubborn  characteristic 
of  these  people,  together  with  their  deference  to  native 
Shaikhs. 

A  peasant  from  the  south  was  accused  of  stealing  a 
cow  from  his  neighbour.  Being  found  in  Jerusalem,  he 
was  brought  before  the  Turkish  Court.  The  evidence 
seemed  complete,  and  he  was  imprisoned — ^he  was  basti- 
nadoed, for  it  was  in  the  time  when  corporeal  punish- 
ment  was  allowed. 

He  was  remanded.  He  bore  protracted  confinement ; 
still  he  persisted  in  his  *  not  guilty.'  He  was  again  basti- 
nadoed, till  his  feet  were  in.  a  pitiable  condition. 

At  length  the  governor  sent  for  the  man's  Shaikh, 
Muslehh  el  Azizi,  who  then  visited  the  prisoner  in  his 
loathsome  dungeon,  and  taking  him  aside  to  a  dark 
corner,  Muslehh  laid  hold  of  his  own  beard,  and  adjured 
him,  *  By  this  brown  thing,  did  you  steal  the  cow  ?  '  On 
which  the  prisoner  at  once  confessed  to  the  theft,  but 
added  that  nothing  less  than  that  solemn  oath  could  have 
extorted  from  him  the  avowal. 

Shaikh  Muslehh  himself  told  me  this  as  an  instance  of 
the  influence  wielded  by  the  hereditary  leaders  within  the 
country,  and  the  inefficiency  of  the  Turkish  Pashks  for 
any  good  purpose,  their  only  instrument  of  ruling  being 
the  levying  of  money  and  (in  those  days)  the  bastinado, 
and  these  were  incapable  of  inspiring  either  fear  or  love. 

Let  us  continue  the  narrative  of  events  as  they 
rapidly  developed  themselves  at  the  p^^od  we  are  treat- 
ing of. 


248  HEBRON  AFFAIRS. 

B^inniog  with  Hebron.  Early  in  1852,  *Abder- 
rahhm&n  el  Amer  had  again  fallen  into  the  hands  of  the 
Government,  and  a  low-class  Turk — of  course  a  stranger 
— was  put  in  his  place  as  Mutesellim. 

'Abderrahhm^n  was  for  a  few  days  chained  and  im- 
prisoned in  the  seraglio  of  Jerusalem,  then  allowed  to 
walk  about  the  city  by  daylight,  under  the  guarantee  of 
three  securities  ;  but  he  very  soon  effected  his  escape  by 
night,  carrying  his  chains  with  him  over  the  dty  wall. 

The  Fashk  at  the  time  wa«  one  Mohammed  Hafiz, 
holding  higher  rank  than  any  preceding  governor  there, 
viz.,  that  of  Musheer,  or  Wali.  But  he  was  an  old  man 
of  exhausted  health,  and  entirely  imaccustomed  to  the 
rough  manners  of  the  Palestinians.  The  times  also  were 
not  such  as  would  admit  of  an  unbridled  peasantry,  who 
hated  the  very  name  of  Turk,  being  overawed  by  merely 
an  extra  pomposity  of  title.  It  must  be  remembered  that 
this  'AbderrahhmHn  was  himself  a  Fellahh  (peasant). 

'Abderrahhm&n  at  once  superseded  the  Mutesellim  of 
Hebron,  and  commenced  a  furious  levying  of  fines  upon 
the  inhabitants,  especially  on  the  Jews.  These  formed  a 
considerable  proportion  of  the  population  there,  and  many 
of  them  were  imder  the  care  and  protection  of  the  British 
Consulate.    In  their  distress  they  applied  to  us  for  succour. 

Yet  what  was  to  be  done  ?  To  leave  them  as  sheep, 
a  prey  to  the  wolf  'Abderrahhm&n,  would  have  a  very 
ill  effect  throughout  the  country,  wherever  there  were 
British  prot^g^s  to  be  plundered  or  molested. 

The  helplessness  of  poor  old  Hafiz  Pashk  was  but  too 
well  understood.  The  only  possible  coiu^e  for  me  to  adopt 
was  to  repair  personally  to  Hebron,  as  eye-witness  of  'Ab- 


'abdeurahhmIn  at  large.  249 

derrahhm^'s  proceedings,  in  the  hope  that  my  presence 
among  our  people  there  might  in  some  degree  check  the 
miscreant  in  his  career. 

I,  therefore,  repaired  to  Hafiz  PashJi,  induced  him  to 
send  on  a  force  of  thirty  Bashi-bozuk,  and  to  give  me 
two  for  an  escort,  when  I  set  off,  together  with  my  two 
Kaww^es  towards  the  scene  of  action. 

Scarcely  had  I  left  the  city  when  a  respectable  Mos- 
lem rushed  before  me  from  among  some  olive  trees, 
heaping  curses,  both  loud  and  deep,  upon  the  Turkish 
Government,  and  vowing  that  the  only  hope  of  God's 
creatures  lay  in  their  being  conquered  by  some  Christian 
power.  His  house  had  that  morning  been  rifled  by 
'Abderrahhmfin. 

In  ten  minutes  more  I  met  the  Mufti  of  Hebron, 
riding  on  an  ass,  and  attended  by  a  dozen  of  Hebronites 
on  foot,  some  of  them  armed  with  guns :  all,  of  course, 
carrying  Khanjars  (the  usual  weapon  of  rustics)  in  their 
belts,  and  all  with  loud  cries  imploring  me  to  give  an 
answer,  '  If  the  Pashk  could  not  fight  for  them,  would  not 
the  English  do  so  ? '  They  had  been  driven  out  of  their 
houses  by  'Abderrahhm&n. 

At  the  convent  of  Mar  Elias  by  the  road-side  we 
overtook  the  Bashi-bozuk  who  had  been  sent  on  in 
advance.  Their  horses  were  picketed,  the  men  smoking, 
and  the  Captain  asleep  under  a  tree;  when  roused  up 
he  made  me  the  excuse  that  he  was  waiting  for  a  rein- 
forcement to  join  him.  This  was  at  less  than  half-an- 
hour's  distance  from  the  city.  We  passed  on  without 
him. 

In  Hebron  I  put  up,  as  usual,  at  the  house  of  the 


250  TERROR  OF  THE  JEWS. 

Jewish  Pakeed  (temporal  business  agent),  and  to  my 
surprise  the  Spanish  Jews  (who  are  Turkish  subjects),  at 
all  other  times  so  fiill  of  protestations  of  gratitude  for 
my  visits,  betrayed  in  their  countenances  an  excessive 
iright,  and  they  came  about  me  declaring  that  'Abder- 
rahhm&n  *had  done  them  no  harm,  and  had  injured 
nobody.'  One  of  their  leading  Eabbis  implored  me  in 
case  of  'Abderrahhmftn  coming  to  visit  me,  as  might  be 
expected,  not  to  say  that  I  had  come  for  protection  of 
Jews ;  for  that  if  I  did  so,  he  would  be  sure  to  punish 
them  doubly  at  my  departure. 

A  kaww&s  of  mine  brought  word  from  the  streets  that 
numerous  houses  had  been  plundered,  but  no  persons 
killed ;  that  the  Mutesellim  (governor)  had  shut  himself 
up  in  his  house,  while  'Abderrahhmfi^n  was  in  his  town- 
house  surrounded  by  500  men  well  armed,  and  that  100 
village  Shaikhs  were  by  compulsion  ranged  on  his  side. 
The  Government  force  at  the  same  time  in  Hebron 
amounted  to  four  men,  besides  the  two  in  my  company. 

All  this  I  was  not  prepared  for  ;  I  trusted,  however, 
still  to  some  moral  effect,  in  favour  of  the  Jews,  to  come 
from  my  presence  and  from  looking  'AbderrahhmSn 
straight  in  the  face,  but  the  task  was  a  delicate  one,  for 
my  own  cUents  were  nearly  as  much  frightened  as  the 
Spanish  Jews. 

In  the  morning  early  came  the  doctor  of  the  Lazaretto 
(a  European)  and  confirmed  the  worst  accounts  of  the 
outrages  committed  by  the  rebel  and  his  partisans,  adding 
that  he  had  been  told  it  was  resolved  by  them  to  levy 
a  fine  of  forty  purses  (200/.  nearly)  upon  the  Jewish 
quarter  that  morning. 


*THE  BEST  OiP  GOVERNORS.'  251 

At  8  A.M.  the  troop  from  Jerusalem  arrived  with  a 
rattle  of  kettledrums,  and  advancing  direct  to  'Abderrahh- 
m&n,  the  Captain  presented  him  with  a  letter  from  the 
Pashi ;  this  was  received  with  formality  and  an  answer 
in  writing  was  promised  ;  but  the  Captain  invited  him  to 
come  to  Jerusalem,  there  to  have  his  matters  inquired 
into  with  impartiality — a  strange  request,  seeing  that 
the  offender  had  but  recently  escaped  from  custody 
there. 

On  this  'Abderrahhm^n  stormed  curses  at  him,  and 
calling  in  people  from  passing  along  the  street,  demanded, 
in  a  voice  of  thunder,  if  he  had  robbed  or  done  violence 
to  anyone  ?  In  terror  they  shook  their  coats,  and  said, 
*  God  forbid  ! '  One  after  another  avouched  that  'Ab- 
derrahhm^n  was  the  best  of  possible  governors,  and  had 
done  injury  to  no  one. 

He  then  had  a  paper  drawn  up  to  that  effect,  which 
the  people  sealed  with  their  signet-rings :  all  except  the 
European  Lazaretto  doctor,  who  was  present,  and  said 
that  although  he  had  heard  of  some  excesses  being  com- 
mitted, he  had  seen  none :  so  he  was  excused. 

'Abderrahhm&n  then  sent  several  successive  messages 
to  the  Mutesellim  (governor)  ordering  him  to  leave  the 
town.  These  things  were  reported  to  me  by  my  own 
kaww&s,  who  had  witijiessed  them. 

Soon  afterwards  the  Mutesellim  came  to  visit  me  for 
ceremony,  escorted  by  the  whole  troop  of  Bashi-bozuk 
from  Jerusalem.  Two  sons  of  'Abderrahhm^n  came  also 
as  spies,  for  Oriental  customs  allow  of  the  freest  walking 
into  each  other's  houses,  especially  during  ceremonials, 
Asiatics  live  all  day  in  public. 


252  'ABDERRAHHMlTirS  ORATION. 

As  long  as  these  sons  remained,  a  constraint  lay 
upon  the  conversation;  but  they  left  as  soon  as  they 
heard  that  I  was  come  to  look  after  English  subjects, 
and  that  probably  the  Austrian  Consul  was  following  on 
behalf  of  his  few  subjects  there. 

The  MuteseUim  (governor)  and  his  secretary  exhibited 
symptoms  of  the  utmost  terror,  the  latter  particularly, 
and  I  was  told  in  his  presence  that  on  the  preceding 
evening  a  sword  had  been  waved  over  his  head  by  *Ab- 
derrahhm3.n. 

On  their  departure  'Abderrahhm4n  himself  came  with 
several  sons  of  various  a^es,  and  a  large  retinue  of 
Shaikhs  and  armed  fellahheen. 

Throwing  his  burly  person  upon  the  divftn,  he  shouted, 
without  comphments  or  preface, '  'Abderahhm&n  is  calling 
for  300,000  piastres,  most  of  which  he  has  given  as  bribes 
to  the  Effendis  of  Jerusalem,  but  of  which  he  has  drawn 
up  a  Ust,  and  here  it  is ;  so  much  to  one,  and  so  much  to 
another  (reading  over  a  hst  of  names  and  sums),  the  rest 
has  been  plundered  from  him  in  the  name  of  Government, 
on  account  of  the  village  of  Ziph.  K  the  CJonsul  will 
recover  that  money  for  me,  I  will  retire  to  my  own 
place,  put  my  hand  under  my  head  and  go  to  sleep,  ff 
not,  I  will  plunder  every  house  in  this  town,  allow 
neither  Christian  nor  Jew  to  live  here ;  will  mount  my 
mare,  repair  to  my  friends  the  Arabs  in  the  Desert,  turn 
out  the  dogs  who  Uve  at  Petra,  levy  sums  upon  the 
English  who  go  there,  stretch  out  my  legs  and  enjoy 
myself.' 

All  this  was  uttered  in  one  long  sentence,  as  if  he 
were  uneasy  in  mind  tiU  the  task  was  finished  which  he 


THE  GOVERNOR  GETS  NOTICE  TO  QUIT.  253 

had  set  himself  to  repeat,  and  which  even  his  impudence 
found  it  a  hard  matter  to  accomplish. 

I  answered  that  unless  he  forbore  to  make  threats  I 
would  do  nothing  whatsoever  for  him ;  but  that  if  he 
would  speak  peaceably,  I  might  send  the  list  to  his  Ex- 
cellency Hafiz  Pashk,  with  a  note  from  myself  in  these 
words,  '  'Abderrahhm&n  has  placed  this  in  my  hands,  and 
has  already  acquainted  me  with  its  import.' 

He  then  somewhat  modij&ed  his  tone,  changed  the 
words  '  ride  away  into  the  Desert,'  for  *  ride  away  to  the 
village,'  and  instead  of '  not  permit  any  Christian  or  Jew 
to  live  in  the  town,'  said  he  would  suffer  no  English 
subjects  to  stay  there.  These  meant  of  course  the  Jews 
under  English  protection ;  for  no  Christians  did,  or  do, 
reside  in  Hebron. 

My  poor  Jews  (for  we  were  in  a  Jewish  house,  that 
of  the  Sephardi  Pakeed)  and  others  were  witnesses  of 
the  proceedings.  Those  children  of  Abraham,  Isaac,  and 
Jacob,  the  saints  of  Machpelah,  close  at  hand,  betrayed 
the  utmost  consternation,  with  pale  visages  and  flashing 
eyes,  as  they  watched  every  word  and  gesture,  not 
knowing  what  the  ruffian  might  do  next. 

Finding  some  abatement  of  tone  in  'Abderrahhm&n,  I 
set  my  dragoman  to  write  a  few  words  to  the  Pashi  in 
the  above  sense,  but  stopped  him  on  'Abderrahhmftn 
ordering  an  armed  attendant  to  '  go,  bid  that  fool  of  a 
Mutesellim  (governor)  quit  the  town  before  noon,  or  he 
should  lose  lus  head,'  on  which  I  refused  to  let  any  letter 
be  written  from  me ;  and  Shaikh  Muslehh  el  Azizi,  of 
Bait  Jibreen,  interceding,  persuaded  the  autocrat  to  allow 
the  poor  man  time  till  sunset  for  collecting  his  furniture 


254  IMPOUNDING  CONSULS. 

and  packing  it  on  mules  for  travelling.  (According  to  the 
laws  of  etiquette  among  the  peasants,  'Abderrahhm&n 
could  scarcely  have  refused  Shaikh  Muslehh's  request.) 

At  this  point  arrived  M.  Pizzamano,  the  Austrian 
Consul,  a  military  man  of  goodly  presence,  and  'Abder- 
rahhm&n  repeated  to  him  his  story  and  demands,  but 
the  threat  was  now  enlarged  into  one  of  demolishing  the 
town,  and  keeping  up  continual  marauding  parties  upon 
the  road,  up  to  the  gates  of  Jerusalem.  He  was  answered 
with  soothing  words  to  the  effect  that  M.  Pizzamano 
would  write  to  the  Pashk ;  but  then  our  hero  asked, '  if 
the  two  Consuls  would  not  stay  in  Hebron  till  the  answer 
should  arrive  ? ' 

To  comprehend  the  full  force  of  this  query,  it  is 
necessary  to  recollect  the  relative  powers  of  the  Turkish 
Government  and  the  rebel  at  the  moment ;  it  should  be 
understood  also  that  Abderrahhm&n  and  the  Consuls 
were  seated  side  by  side  within  a  Jewish  house,  that  the 
whole  Jewish  Quarter  is  confined  within  a  block  of  houses 
closed  by  one  small  gate,  and  that  the  door  of  the  apart- 
ment itself  in  which  we  were  was  blocked  up  with  a 
crowd  of  brawny  and  armed  partisan  rebels.  We  were 
thus  shut  into  a  trap. 

'Abderrahhmftn  rose,  however,  and  left  us  on  the 
promise  of  the  letters  being  written  to  the  PashJi ;  his 
brother,  Mahhmood,  remained  to  see  them  finished,  and 
he  undertook  to  forward  them  by  a  special  messengei. 

In  another  hour  Pizzamano  and  I  were  clear  out  of 
the  town,  as  it  was  high  time  we  should  be,  for  it  would 
never  do  to  allow  ourselves  to  be  held  as  hostages  for 
coercing  the  Turkish  PashJ^  to  concede  his  claims,  on  the 


1 


PROTECTION  FOR  THE  JEWS.  255 

merits  of  which  we  were  ignorant  and  had  no  right  to 
examine.  It  was  dear  that  the  idea  of  impomiding  the 
European  Consuls  had  entered  his  head,  and  neither  our 
Governments  nor  that  of  the  Sultan  would  thank  us  for 
bringing  on  such  a  complication. 

I  was  afterwards  assured  that,  previous  to  the 
Austrian  Consul's  arrival,  'Abderrahhm&n  had  proposed 
to  his  advisers  the  expediency  of  carrying  off  the  English 
Consul  to  his  village  (Dura)  as  a  hostage  ;  he  also  sug- 
gested the  idea  of  putting  me  into  an  oven :  this  was, 
however,  but  the  conceit  and  bluster  of  a  bully.  I  also 
learned  that  his  brother  Hhusain,  on  seeing  my  Arab 
mare  standing  in  the  Court  of  the  pubUc  Khan,  had 
pointed  to  her,  saying  to  his  slave,  but  in  pubUc  hearing, 
'  Would  it  not  be  better  for  the  owner  of  that  to  get 
away  as  speedily  as  possible  ?  '  intending  this  of  course  to 
be  repeated  to  me,  and  alluding  to  a  possibiUty  of  the 
animal  being  otherwise  appropriated  by  his  brother. 

Pizzamano  and  I  each  lelft  a  kaww&s  on  duty  in 
Jewish  houses ;  I  left  also  my  second  dragoman  for  two 
days,  as  the  best  protection  we  could  afford,  and  our 
measures  really  did  answer  the  purpose  intended,  for 
with  all  his  insolence  'Abderrahhm&n  was  too  cunning  to 
set  the  Consuls  quite  against  him  by  ill-treating  their 
people  after  they  had  witnessed  the  true  state  of  affairs. 

On  passing  through  the  streets  it  was  piteous  to  hear 
the  European  Jews  crying  after  us  that  truly  they  had 
great  fear  in  their  souls,^  notwithstanding  all  they  had 
before  stated  to  the  contrary  when  in  'Abderrahhm^n's 
presence. 

»  M*a^3  VCWO  tr*  y^ :  nne  B^  ^SK.    Es  giebt  viel  Purcht, 


256  THE  COUNCIL  DELIBERATE. 

Next  morning  the  Pashi  heard  my  report  of  the 
transactions,  and  he  summoned  a  council  to  answer  the 
allegations  against  themselves.  I  had  only  to  urge  the 
adoption  of  decided  measures  for  ensuring  tranquillity  in 
general,  and  the  safety  of  English  prot^^s,  leaving  the 
means  to  be  chosen  by  Government. 

It  was  resolved  by  the  puzzled  authorities  to  draw  up 
a  letter,  inviting  'Abderrahhrn^n  to  appear  in  Jerusalem 
under  any  guarantee  that  he  should  himself  propose,  for 
making  good  his  charges ;  or  indeed  in  any  lai^e  town 
he  should  name,  such  as  Beyroot,  Damascus,  etc.  The 
Effendis  he  had  named,  engaged  on  their  part  to  appear 
personally,  and  to  invite  the  British  Consul  of  that  place 
to  be  witness  of  the  proceedings. 

I  could  have  no  objection  to  this,  unlikely  though  it 
was  to  be  accepted,  since  it  was  their  character  which 
had  been  assailed ;  but  pressed  rather  the  point  of  dealing 
at  once  with  a  rebel  who  had  several  times,  and  once  in 
my  presence,  commanded  the  Turkish  governor  to  quit 
his  post  under  peril  of  his  Ufe :  who  had  actually  ex- 
pelled the  Mufti,  had  plundered  houses,  and  cut  off  a 
man's  hand  when  endeavouring  to  save  his  property,  be- 
sides threatening  to  stop  intercourse  upon  the  high  road. 

I  recommended  a  recourse  to  vigorous  action,  con- 
fident that  in  presence  of  even  a  show  of  Niz&m  (regular) 
soldiery,  the  adherents  of  'Abderrahhm^n  would  drop 
off  from  his  side  and  leave  him  helpless. 

The  Austrian  Consul  coming  into  the  Council  Cham- 
ber was  of  the  same  opinion. 

But  we  were  answered  that,  by  existing  regulations, 
the  Pash^  of  Jerusalem  and  the  Commandant  of  the  gar- 


'ALL  QUIET  IN  HEBRON!'  257 

rison  were  together,  or  separately,  precluded  from  em- 
ploying the  regular  military  without  special  licence  for 
each  individual  occasion  frgm  His  Excellency  the  Serias- 
ker  (Generalissimo),  in  Damascus;  Bashi-bozuk  alone 
might  be  used,  and  these  were  too  few  in  number  for 
the  emergency,  neither  could  they  be  relied  upon  for 
fidelity  in  action. 

Still  we  advised  the  employment  of  as  many  of  the 
latter  as  possible,  and  the  taking  advantage  of  dissensions 
known  to  exist  in  and  about  Hebron. 

As  Consuls  were  not  members  of  the  official  Council, 
the  Pashk  requested  us  to  withdraw  for  a  time,  which  we 
did,  and  in  an  hour  afterwards  His  Excellency  acquainted 
us  with  the  Eesolution  of  the  Council,  which  was  to  the 
eflfect  that  one  more  letter  be  sent  to  'Abderrahhm&n,  re- 
quiring a  speedy  answer,  and  that  in  case  of  no  satisfac- 
tory reply  being  returned  by  two  hours  before  noon  on 
the  morrow,  the  Lieutenant  of  the  troops  should  go  to 
Hebron  with  a  corps  of  Bashi-bozuk. 

In  the  morning  I  sent  to  the  Seraglio  for  further  infor- 
mation, and  had  the  foolish  message  sent  me,  that  all  was 
now  quiet  in  Hebron  ! — 'Abderrahhmftn  had  ordered  all 
the  shops  to  be  opened,  and  had  even  engaged  to  restore 
tenfold  of  any  plunder  that  could  be  proved  against  him : 
— that  the  Mutesellira  (governor)  waa  still  at  his  post,  but 
that,  nevertheless,  a  requisition  had  been  sent  to  the  Se- 
riasker  for  leave  to  employ  the  royal  troops  of  Jerusalem 
at  Hebron  if  necessity  should  arise,  which  was  not  now 
Hkely  I 

Upon  this  the  following  remarks  maybe  made  : — 

Firstly. — That  the  mihtary  force  in  Jerusalem,  at  the 

VOL.  I.  8 


1 


258  TROOPS  NOT  AVAILABLE. 

time  available  for  defence  of  the  whole  extent  between  the 
frontier  of  Egypt  and  the  Plain  of  Esdraelon,  amounted 

to— 

1 .  A  full  regiment  of  Infantry  .         .         .     800 

2.  Bashi-bozuk,  irregulars  .         .         .160 

3.  Artillerymen 16 

Total 976 

Secondly. — That  if  the  active  employment  of  the 
regulars  should  be  granted,  the  answer  could  hardly 
reach  us  in  less  than  a  fortnight,  as  both  the  application 
and  the  response  would  have  to  pass  through  the  civil 
governor  (Musheer)  of  Beyroot. 

Thirdly. — That  the  Seriasker  in  Damascus  was  no 
other  person  than  Mehemet  Kubrusli  Pashk,  the  same 
who,  in  1846,  had  chastised  'Alderrahhm&n,  with  Mus- 
lehh,.Abu  Gosh,  and  others,  but  had  of  late  mysteriously 
become  a  supporter  of  the  former,  and  had  written  him 
a  letter  while  he  was  lately  in  confinement  at  Jerusalem. 

Hafiz  Pashk  read  to  ray  Cancelliere  a  letter  he  had  re- 
ceived from  the  Seriasker,  defending  'Abderrahhm&n  in 
the  strongest  terms,  as  a  perfectly  loyal  subject,  while  his 
accusers  were  traitors,  etc.,  etc.  '  Undet  such  circum- 
stances what  hope  could  be  entertained  from  any  appeal 
to  Damascus  ?  *  said  our  Pashk. 

With  regard  to  the  asserted  reception  by  the  Effendis 
of  'Abderrahhm&n's  bribes,  the  general  reputation  of 
those  personages  would  predispose  to  a  belief  in  the  truth 
of  the  charge;  but  as  for  the  prodigality  of  the  sums 
written  down  by  'Abderrahhmdn,  we  may  believe  it  or 
not  as  might  possibly  be  proved ;  perhaps  n^otiations 
with  Bevroot  and  Damascus  were  included. 


THE  GOVERNOR  TURNED  OUT.  259 

In  a  couple  of  hours  after  receipt  of  this  assurance 
from  the  Pasbk  that  the  Mutesellim  was  still  at  his  post, 
the  troop  of  Bashi-bozuk  returned,  escorting  that  ban- 
ished functionary  and  his  secretary,  thus  leaving  the  He- 
bron district  in  unresisted  possession  of  'Abderrahhm&n 
and  his  brothers  :  he  himself  had  gone  among  the  hills  to 
Dura,  his  own  stronghold. 

No  written  reply  had  been  vouchsafed  to  the  Pashk, 
merely  an  oral  message  that  'Abderrahhm&n  chose  to 
produce  his  accusations  only  in  Damascus  (for  which,  as 
above  explained,  we  can  see  the  reason) ;  moreover,  that 
he  would  only  repair  in  that  direction  after  learning  that 
the  Effendis  were  already  there,  and  then  he  meant  to 
proceed  at  leisure,  round  the  south  end  of  the  Dead  Sea, 
by  way  of  Kerak  and  Es-Salt,  a  journey  of  more  than  a 
week  at  a  common  rate  of  travelling. 

Meanwhile  a  Jew's  house  (Turkish  subject)  had  been 
entered  and  stripped.  At  the  renewed  application  of  M. 
Pizzamano  and  myself,  the  Pashk  promised  to  take  two 
companies  of  infantry  to  Hebron,  and  remain  in  station 
there  till  permission  for  active  service  should  arrive.  This 
was  not  done,  but  even  the  idea  getting  about  that  Niz^m 
(regular)  troops  were  about  to  move  was  sufficient  to  keep 
'Abderrahhm&n  within  some  bounds  of  moderation ; 
though  he  still  kept  hold  of  the  town  and  villages, 
levying  imposts  under  his  own  self-appointment,  while 
keeping  up  the  pretence  that  he  was  still  submissive  to 
the  Sultan's  rule. 

'Abderrahhm&n  was  greatly  alarmed  when  he  heard, 
some  time  after  these  incidents,  that  I  had  gone  to  Bey- 
root,  and  he  sent  off  his  Coptic  secretary  in  such  haste 

fi  2 


260  \iaoBous  measures. 

to  the  Arabs  ia  the  South,  that  he  killed  the  mare  he 
was  riding — ^it  was  found  lying  dead  by  the  roadside. 

Very  little  news  reached  us  from  Hebron  for  some 
time,  the  terrified  people  not  daring  to  supply  us  with 
any  intelligence,  imtil,  on  the  4th  of  August,  we  heard, 
that  the  enraged  peasantry  of  certain  places  had  risen 
and  were  besieging  'Abderrahhmin's  force  in  Hebron,  he 
being  by  that  time  absent  in  Damascus,  and  that  several 
lives  had  been  lost  in  the  fray. 

*  

Next  day,  Hafiz  Pashk,  feeble  old  man  as  he  was, 
headed  some  Jerusalem  Niz&m  for  Hebron,  viz.:  300 
infantry  with  150  Bashi-bozuk,  and  the  two  brass  field- 
pieces  from  the  Castle-yard,  of  small  size,  but  kept  in 
high  polish.  This  force  did  nothing  but  show  itself,  and 
so  encourage  the  insurgents  against  'Abderrahhm&n,  and 
thus  his  cause  was  kept  down  for  a  time.  The  wild  tribes 
around  Gaza  were  also  up  and  at  war.  Some  hundred 
lives  were  lost. 

Afiairs  in  Nabloos,  on  the  opposite  side  of  Jerusalem, 
now  required  attention,  and  a  reinforcement  of  fiashi- 
bozuk  was  dispatched  thither. 

While  these  little  episodes  kept  us  on  the  alert  in 
South  Palestine,  His  Excellency  the  Seriasker  undertook, 
in  the  North,  a  rash  invasion  of  the  Lejah  of  the  Haur&n, 
during  the  summer  of  1852,  with  a  formidable  expedi- 
tion of  all  arms  under  himself  in  person,  with  the  object 
of  enforcing  a  conscription  among  the  Druzes,  who,  as  in 
all  times  of  revolt,  had  left  the  Lebanon,  and,  associated 
with  the  other  Druzes  of  the  Haur&n,  had  taken  up  that 
impregnable  position. 

To  aid  in  the  expedition,  the  Jerood  (plural  of  Jerdeh) 


THE  LEJAH  EXPEDITION.  261 

or  militia  without  uniform,  mere  rustics  from  the  fields, 
were  called  for  in  every  province  of  Syria  and  Palestine, 
each  district  to  be  led  by  its  native  hereditary  chief. 

The  event  turned  out  disastrous  to  Ottoman  prestige. 
The  supremacy  of  Turkey  probably  required  that  the 
Druzes  should  be  made  to  feel  they  had  a  master,  if  this 
could  be  done;  but  it  was  incurring  a  fearful  risk  to 
adventure  an  army  into  that  very  peculiar  country  where 
no  cavalry  or  artillery,  scarcely  any  infantry,  could  move — 
a  mere  trap  to  be  caught  in,  so  rocky  as  to  have  acquired 
in  the  old  Grecian  times  the  name  of  Trachonitis,  '  the 
rugged,'  or  '  stony.'  Common  rocks,  however,  may  be 
mastered,  but  a  honeycomb  of  rocks,  where  the  march 
is  only  upon  the  upright  edges  of  the  cells,  while  the 
enemy  lies  within  those  cells,  this  is  something  uncom- 
mon— 

Hie  labor^  hoc  opus  eist. 

And  such  a  honeycomb  is  the  Lejah. 

The  Seriasker's  (Commander-in-chief)  army  was  routed, 
in  his  presence,  it  is  said,  and  four  pieces  of  artillery 
captured  from  him. 

Such  were  the  afiairs  in  the  North — somewhat  less 
ruinous  than  befel  Ibrahim  Pashk  there  with  his  Egyp- 
tian army. 

In  November  I  went  to  Tiberias  to  make  enquiry  into 
certain  grievances  of  the  Jewish  proUges  there. 

On  issuing  from  the  west  gate  of  Nabloos,  we  met  our 
southern  Shaikhs,  Hhamd&n  of  the  Ta'amra  tribe,  Arabs 
near  the  Dead  Sea ;  and  *Othm&n  el  Lehh&m,  returning 
from  the  Druze  expedition,  well  bronzed  by  the  sun. 
They  had  been  associatied.  on  the  Sultan's  side,  with 


3S)  of  Ne 

they  hai 

ing  bee 
iisbande 

take  pli 
le  highv 
ir  home: 
commoi 

firing  o 
ablyhav 
era  to  b( 
iaira.  H 
vho  beg{ 
:r. 

it  waa 
SQ  comi 
During 
td  taken 
ses  and  ■■ 
ar  army 
1  of  the 

comma 
,  each  fc 

to  the  T 
e  waa  ii 
ed  with 
ween  tl: 
r)  and  t] 
it,  the 


OLD  ACQUAINTANCES.  263 

The  coloured  tents  of  the  oflScers  and  the  posted 
sentinels  enUvened  the  military  scene,  and  amusing  enough 
it  was  to  see  the  picketed  horses,  switching  their  thou- 
sands of  tails  in  straight  lines,  and  swinging  regular  as 
pendulums  in  the  blazing  sunshine. 

With  Ahmed  Pashk,  of  the  cavalry,  I  found  'Abd'ul 
Hadi,  the  Governor  of  Nabloos,  to  whom  the  complaints 
of  the  Jews  of  Tiberias  were  at  once  represented. 

With  Mustafa  Pashk,  of  the  infantry,  a  hardy  grey- 
bearded  soldier,  I  found  some  mihtary  acquaintances  of 
the  Jerusalem  garrison  in  previous  years,  and  that 
bigoted  old  Shaikh  Ahmed  Jer&r,  of  Jeba,  who,  two 
years  before,  immediately  on  my  entering  his  house,  had 
growled  out,  *  So  the  Sultan  is  giving  away  all  the  land 
of  Islft-m,  bit  by  bit,  to  the  Christians.' 

Old  Mustafa  gave  me  some  interesting  details  of  the 
recent  expedition,  one-sided  of  course,  and  produced  an 
outline  sketch  of  the  Lejah  labyrinth,  with  the  village  of 
Edhr'a  (ancient  Edrei),  made  by  a  Hungarian  officer,  who 
had  ventured  thither  in  disguise  previous  to  the  opera- 
tions.    It  was  a  wretchedly  deficient  piece  of  work. 

After  the  Seriasker's  withdrawal  to  Damascus,  this 
camp  had  been  formed  at  Samakh  for  overawing  the 
Jebel  'Ajloon,  i.e.  the  high  ground  east  of  Jordan,  and 
for  calling  the  poor  Ghaw^rineh  Arabs  ^  to  account  for 
having  plimdered  the  wheat  stores  of  the  Government, 
collected  in  that  neighbourhood — so  it  was  said. 

The  Turkish  commanders  also  professed  to  be  awaiting 

*  Aialifi  of  the  Ghor,  or  Jordan  plain,  poor  creatures,  neither  Bedaween 
nor  peasants,  liying  along  the  hanks  of  the  riyer  in  hooths  made  of  the 
papyrus  cane. 


204  ORDER  SOMEWHAT  RESTORED. 

a  reinforcement  of  12,000  men  from  Constantinople,  in 
order  to  renew  the  Druze  affair  after  the  expiration  of 
the  truce — an  incredible  fiction,  for  firstly,  Constanti- 
nople was  unable  at  the  time  to  spare  any  military 
succour ;  and  next,  the  winter  was  coming  on,  which  is 
always  severe  in  the  Haurftn. 

In  truth,  no  such  aid  did  arrive,  and  the  truce  died  a 
natural  death. 

One  effect  of  om-  visit  to  the  camp  was  that  the  petty 
and  insolent  authorities  of  Tiberias-town,  on  my  return 
there,  crouched  before  me  with  abject  flattery.  Some 
years  before  I  had  succeeded  in  having  the  same  men 
displaced  from  office  for  maladministration,  to  the  great 
relief  and  joy  of  all  the  population,  Moslem  as  well  as 
Jewish,  but  this  time  they  promised  to  be  good ! 

After  a  week's  excursion  about  Galilee,  we  found 
some  ot  the  cavalry  and  infantry  still  about  Tiberias, 
glorifying  themselves  on  their  victories  gained  over  the 
miserable  Ghaw&rineh,  by  capturing  their  stores  of  grain, 
uiider  pretence  of  its  being  the  very  same  harvest  that 
had  been  pillaged  before  their  arrival. 

The  incidents  here  recounted  will  afford  some  idea  of 
the  state  of  Palestine  in  1852,  and  matters  did  not  mend 
in  1853. 

For  a  while  Hebron  was  in  tranquillity,  and  in  April 
I  found  the  inhabitants  reviving  in  spirit  after  the  long 
career  of  'Abderrahhmftn's  tyranny. 

He  had  been  displaced  for  the  moment  once  more ; 
the  petty  manufacture  and  trade  of  the  place,  chiefly 
that  of  rude  glass-ware,  was  resumed ;  and  a  curious 
symptom  of  the  new  state  of  things  was  described  to  be 


PEASANTS  AT  WAR.  265 

an  increase  in  the  number  of  marriages,  for  under  the 
old  oppression  'Abderrahhm&n  levied  fees  upon  all  wed- 
dings, which  was  complained  of  as  a  tax  impeding  the 
fulfilment  of  that  important  duty  of  mankind — ^marriage. 
Yet  in  travelling  westwards  from  Hebron  I  met  a 
shepherd  leading  out  his  flock^  himself  riding  an  ass,  with 
a  gun  slung  over  his  shoulder.  This  did  not  look  much 
like  a  poetic  pastoral  group,  represented  by 

Ludere  quie  vellem  calamo  permifiit  agresti ; 

and  farther  on,  all  the  peasants  were  found  in  similar 
armament,  for 

Undique  totiB 
Usque  adeo  turbatur  agris. 

In  a  valley  between  Sen^brah  and  Dair  Nahh&z  we 
were  told  of  fighting  going  on  ahead  of  us,  but  this  time 
it  was  against  the  Tiyahah  Arabs  (Bedaween),  who  had 
come  up  from  the  Desert  in  large  force. 

At  the  latter  place  a  consultation  of  village  chiefs  was 
being  held.  So  sending  up  my  salutations,  with  a  request  ^ 
for  a  pitcher  of  water  from  the  well,  the  information  was 
given  in  return,  with  their  compliments,  that  Abd  en 
Nebi  (the  popular  '  Azrael ')  had  been  wounded  in  the 
knee,  but  that  the  village  of  Bait  Jibreen  had  been  res- 
cued from  the  invaders,  thirty-five  of  whose  corpses  were 
lying  around  it,  including  one  of  their  best  men,  named 
Amer. 

We  passed  on  to  Gaza,  where,  next  morning,  some  of 
the  slain  Arabs  were  brought  for  interment.  The  rest 
had  been  taken  on  to  Khan  Yunas. 

In  the  Guza  district,  my  k&wwas  going  into  a  village 


A   T 

e  water  discovi 
k'a  govemmei 
1  to  the  Turks, 
^hs  later  a  batt! 
ir  of  Jeruaalei 
lages,  betweei 
thman  Lehh&ni 
irnment  had 
trace  of  twent 
e  same  time 
&n  {Siloam) — i 
hoor.  Betwee 
ceeded  in  effe 
ccess  I  The  v 
Dot  desire  a 
tion  throughoi 
ipital  itself. 


267 


CHAPTEE  X. 
STATE  OP  THE  COUNTRY — Continued. 

OoiiBulartoiir  to  the  North — Protection  of  British  interests — Moral  influence 
only — ^Tyre  and  Sidon — Lebanon — ^Excitement  in  Beyroot — State  kept 
up  by  the  Pasha — Dresses — Keduction  of  Tobacco  dues — Moslem  grati- 
tude— Sidon  and  Tyre — ^TibAeen — Persian  Prince — ^Nazareth — ^Gkdilee — 
Nabloos  and  Samaria — Retiurn  to  Jerusalem. 

If  the  condition  of  things  around  Jerusalem  was  bad, 
that  of  the  country  elsewhere  was  no  better,  as  I  had 
opportunities  of  ascertaining,  seeing  that  in  those  days 
there  was  a  standing  rule  of  our  Foreign  Office  that  the 
Consul,  though  holding  his  principal  residence  at  Jeru- 
salem, was  to  make  occasional  journeys  about  the  country 
for  the  purposes  of  supervising  the  Agencies  in  the  ports 
along  the  coast,  for  aflFording  them  instruction  or  strength- 
ening their  influence  with  the  local  authorities,  also  for 
redressing  wrongs  affecting  British  proUgis  in  the  inland 
towns. 

The  limits  of  the  Jerusalem  Consulate  at  that  time 
extended  from  the  northern  boundary  of  the  Vice-Con- 
sulate of  Saida,  that  is  to  say  the  river  Damoor,  to  the 
Egyptian  frontier  on  the  south,  and  from  the  Mediter- 
ranean on  the  west  to  the  river  Jordan  on  the  east, 
having  thus  three  Pashalics  to  deal  with,  viz.,  Jerusalem, 
Acre,  and  Beyroot. 

Had  I  not  had   public  duties  engrossing  time  and 


268  PROTECTION  OF  BRITISH  INTERESTS. 

strength,  but  leisure  for  makiug  antiquarian  and  scientific 
researches  over  a  country  so  rich  in  archseological  and 
other  interests,  the  opportunities  would  have  been  most 
advantageous  for  acquiring  and  imparting  information  of 
such  a  nature.     I  did,  however,  what  I  could.^ 

At  my  first  arrival  in  the  country,  in  1846,  the  Con- 
sular Agencies  were  five  in  number,  viz. — Jaffa,  Caifa, 
Acre,  Soor,  and  the  Vice-Consulate  of  Saida.  These 
formed  our  Cinque  Ports.  In  1847,  however,  the  English 
Agency  of  Jaffa  was  called  a  Consulate,  and  made,  like 
those  of  the  other  Europeans  there,  dependent  on  Beyroot. 

On  the  approach  of  the  war,  it  appeared  desirable  to 
gain  prompt  inteUigence  of  occurrences  throughout  Pales- 
tine, for  painful  emergencies  might  suddenly  arise  among 
a  fanatic  and  turbulent  population,  especially  in  case  of 
adverse  rumours  arriviog  (true  or  untrue)  about  failures 
in  the  operations  of  armies  at  a  distance.  It  became 
also  necessary  to  estabhsh  points  of  communication  along 
the  main  roads,  not  only  for  the  above  object,  but  also  for 
affording  countenance  and  aid  to  travellers. 

As,  however,  Europeans  could  not  be  got  for  such 
duty  in  new  stations  without  salaries,  I  obtained  in  several 
places  native  correspondents,  who  became  very  useful. 
One  was  resident  at  Gaza,  one  at  Eamlah,  and  another  at 
Nabloos,  this  latter  being  an  important  post  on  the  high- 
way northwards,  and  always  taken  into  their  route  by 
travellers  from  Europe. 

At  Tiberias  and  Safed,  where  we  had  numerous  Jews 

*  The  English  Oonsulate  in  Jerusalem  is  now  curtailed  to  the  dimennon 
of  the  Pashi  8  jurisdiction,  as  then  were  those  of  the  other  European  Powers. 
The  Vice*Oonsulate  of  Oaifa,  nrviY^  in  1858,  has  alsb  beian  abojiBhad. 


MORAL  INFLUENCE.  269 

under  British  protection,  I  required  one  person  in  each 
place  to  be  recognized  by  the  protigis  as  my  corres- 
pondent, such  as  the  other  Consuls  had  had  nominally 
long  before  in  those  places.  For  Bethlehem,  and  also 
Hebron,  I  relied  upon  occasional  correspondence. 

With  these  threads  in  my  hand,  besides  the  line  of 
seaports  recognized  by  our  Government,  I  possessed  suffi- 
cient means  of  gaining  knowledge  of  the  state  of  affairs, 
and  in  most  matters  I  had  earlier  and  more  correct  intel- 
ligence than  the  Turkish  Governor  could  gain  within  the 
limits  of  his  territory,  sometimes  to  his  particular  vexa- 
tion, as  he  had  rather  that  certain  matters  should  be  un- 
known, or  known  only  to  himself  and  the  officials,  whom 
he  might  be  able  to  influence,  directly  or  indirectly. 

The  only  means  at  my  command  for  protection  of 
the  British  subjects  and  proUgis  scattered  about  were 
what  are  termed  moral. 

Not  a  British  ship  of  war  was  within  hundreds  of 
miles  of  us.  Prompt  action  through  the  Turkish  autho- 
rities was  at  the  time  simply  impossible,  since  they  them- 
selves were  helpless. 

To  know  the  country  and  the  rural  chiefs  well,  to 
keep  up  friendly  intercourse  with  all  equally,  unless 
during  flagrant  ill-conduct — and  somehow  to  impress 
them  with  a  belief  that  sooner  or  later  England  would 
hold  a  reckoning  with  them  if  our  people  were  molested 
or  injured — ^that  the  Sultan  as  well  as  Europe  would 
hold  them  answerable  if  Christians  suffered  harm,  and 
that  I  should  meanwhile  write  down  everything  and  note 
all  offenders — such  a  course  of  practice  seemed  the  only 
mode  of  securing  British  and  Christian  lives  at  that  period. 


A  NIGHT  ENCOUNTER.  271 

Stead  of  passing  on  to  Egypt,  some  deserters  from  last 
year's  conscription  were  put  on  board  mider  guard,  and 
we  were  told  that  she  was  to  take  in  troops  at  Saida,  as 
a  Turkish  ship  of  war  had  already  done  at  Bayroot. 

We  went  northwards  along  the  coast  by  Hharam, 
Um  KhaUd>  and  CsBsarea.  After  Csesarca  our  ride  wbs 
along  a  beautiful  level,  and  we  forded  the  pretty  river 
Zerka. 

At  sunset,  just  on  passing  the  small  islands,  the  full 
moon  rose  on  the  opposite  side,  and  suddenly  there 
appeared  before  us  two  wild  Arabs  of  the  Abu  Shusheh 
tribe,  on  fine  mares,  one  of  them  canying  a  spear  gleam- 
ing in  the  moonlight. 

The  chief  kftwwas  unslung  his  gun  and  galloped  up 
to  them,  crying  out,  as  usual  on  such  occasions,  *Shu 
Dzul  ? '  (What  is  the  man  ?)  He  had  to  repeat  it  three 
times  before  they  spoke,  and  by  that  time  we  were  all 
up  to  them  4 

At  length,  however,  one  said,  *Ashhftb'  (friends), 
which  was  more  agreeable  than  if  they  had  said,  '  Jeet- 
ak '  (I  am  at  you),  and  so  the  two  parties  crossed  each 
other,  but  without  complimentary  salutations.  We 
kept  on  our  steady  pace,  with  deep  shadows,  pacing 
monotonously  in  a  line  almost  at  the  edge  of  the  roll- 
ing waves. 

Next  morning  we  reached  Acre,  the  site  not  only  of  our 
modern  victories,  but  of  many  a  rendezvous  of  historic 
characters  in  old  times,  both  before  the  Christian  era  and 
afterwards.  And  if  Granada  be  rightly  styled  '  El  ultimo 
sospiro  del  Moro,'  just  as  truly  may  this  place  be  named 
,  the  last  sigh  of  the  Crusaders,'  it  being  the  latest  post 


AT  TYRE.     YISTTS.  273 

From  his  own  feeling  of  prospective  prudence,  how- 
ever, the  Agent  neither  selected  the  best  nor  even  the 
Itirgest  house :  he  took  one  in  the  middle  of  the  town, 
unobtrusive  to  sight,  but  which  had  a  good  spring  of 
water  within  it,  and  for  this  he  had  ever  since  paid  a 
small  rent  to  the  Government  there. 

At  Soor  (Tyre)  our  halt  was  in  the  house  of  the 
Agent  'Attallah,  a  luxurious  residence  open  to  the  sea 
breeze  and  free  from  bustle  or  business ;  only  the 
plague  of  the  most  fulsome  compliments,  from  natives  of 
all  ranks,  was  so  mendacious  and  incessant  that  a  torture 
of  mosquitos  or  even  fleas  would  have  been  a  relief  from 
them. 

In  the  morning  (Midsummer's  Day)  came  visitors  of 
the  town.  First  the  Bishop  of  the  Greek  Catholic  sect, 
that  to  which  most  of  the  COiristians  there,  our  host  and 
family  included,  belonged.  These  people  are  of  Greek 
Orthodox  origin,  but  in  later  ages  they  have  accepted 
the  supremacy  of  the  Pope  of  Eome  under  stipulations 
for  retaining  their  own  vernacular  language  (Arabic)  in 
Divine  Service,  their  own  church  festivals,  and  the  old 
style  of  Calendar.  These  were  followed  by  the  mer- 
chants of  the  place. 

The  town  of  Soor  has  a  respectable  population  of 
above  2,000,  carrying  on  a  trade  in  corn  and  tobacco, 
mostly  with  Egypt,  a  quiet,  pretty  place,  where  almost 
every  house  has  a  garden  and  one  or  more  trees  in  it. 
Many  of  these  are  palms. 

It  is  true  that  there  are  bare  rocks  at  the  water's 
edge,  as  at  Jaffa  and  other  towns  along  the  coast,  upon 
which  fishers  lay  their  nets  to  dry,  but  the  present  posi- 

VOL.  I.  T 


274  THROUGH  SOON  NORTH^V\\RDS. 

tion  of  this  new  or  insular  Tyre  is  not  such  as  specially 
to  warrant  the  quotation  of  Scripture  for  describing  a 
scene  of  utter  desolation. 

In   Soor  and    Saida   we   found  all   ears    eager  for 
news   of  the   expected  war.      The  idea  was    there  as 
everywhere  that  events  must  issue  in  being  a  trial  of 
strength  between  Isl4m  and  Christendom,  during  which 
all  Christians  and  all  Moslems  would  necessarily  become 
enlisted,  if  not  as  active  combatants,  at  least  as  partisans 
of  one  side  or  the  other,  and  sharing  its  fortunes  :  an 
idea  in  which  the  parties  of  that  district  are  trained  from 
their  mother's  nursing  as  sure  at  some  time  to  come  to 
pass. 

After  Saida  towards  Beyroot,  numerous  coffee-stations 
occur  along  the  beach,  which  are  kept  by  the  Customs 
look-out  men,  and  are  considered  as  some  protection  for 
passengers  against  highway  robbery. 

At  one  of  these  halts  just  after  Mo'allakah  and  under 
the  pleasant  village  of  Naimeh  upon  the  mountain  skirts, 
with  its  Maronite  Convent,  we  saw  a  Maronite  priest 
smoking  his  pipe  among  the  muleteers  and  common  pas- 
sengers ;  he  looked  a  clever,  idle,  and  sensuously  disposed 
personage ;  his  talk  was  of  mulberry  trees,  the  price  of 
silk  at  the  various  seaports,  and  political  news  from  the 
seat  of  war. 

At  this  village  of  JTaimeh  was  a  large  silk  factory, 
established  jointly  by  the  Ameer  Easldn  (the  Government 
responsible  ruler  over  the  Druzes  and  Moslems  in  the 
Lebanon),  and  Shaikh  Yusuf  Abu  Neked  ;  my  companion 
advised  the  priest  to  promote  setting  up  a  factory  likewise, 
and  appropriate  its  profits  to  founding  schools  among  his 


MARONITE   DISTRICT.      BEYROOT.  275 

people.  He  mumbled  out  some  sort  of  a  reply,  not 
worth  notice  if  I  could  remember  it. 

We  were  now  in  a  Christian  country.  Moslems  were 
but  seldom  met  with,  and  my  young  friends  (Christians) 
rode  first-rate  animals,  and  carried  silver-ornamented 
sabres.  At  a  Khan  we  got  bread,  olives,  cheese,  soured 
milk  (leben),  onions  and  eggs,  not  forgetting  the  delights 
of  the  summer  water-melons ;  there  was  a  curious  medley 
too  of  travellers  assembled,  speaking  French  and  Italian 
as  well  as  Arabic  and  Turkish. 

We  passed  the  well-remembered  scenes  and  objects 
of  former  years,  such  as  the  white  villages  sparkling 
irregularly  upon  the  hills,  among  them  ShwaifHt,  where 
the  Ameer  Easl4n  resided ;  then  the  distant  Jebel  Suneen, 
towering  to  the  sky  with  its  perpetual  snow  and  the  dark 
pine  forest  before  us. 

Upon  the  beach  we  were  assured  by  a  tall  fellow  girt 
about  with  pistols,  sword  and  musket,  that  at  that  spot 
in  the  morning,  blood  had  spurted  from  his  nose  and 
ears,  the  eflfect  of  heat  upon  the  head.  The  weather  was 
very  hot. 

Arriving  in  Beyroot  we  found  ourselves  among  scenes 
much  more  animated  and  Europeanised  than  those  of 
South  Palestine  and  Jerusalem. 

There  were  new  churches  ;  an  establishment  for  the 
Sisters  of  Charity  ;  the  streets  were  named  in  Arabic  and 
the  houses  numbered ;  only  instead  of  being  numbered 
for  the  street,  they  were  numbered  so,  and  so,  of  the 
whole  town,  by  which  it  came  to  pass  that  I  was  lodged 
at  No.  7,  Beyroot,  the  residence  of  a  junior  member  of 
the  Abela  family. 


VISIT  TO  THE  MUSHEER.     WAR  NEWS.  277 

imploring  aid  from  the  more  sturdy  population  there ; 
arms  likewise  and  ammunition  were  being  rapidly  bought 
up.  The  Eussian  Consul-General  was  away  up  in  the 
mountains  for  the  summer. 

After  Esh^  (prayer-hour,  about  two  hours  after 
sunset),  I  went  by  appointment  to  His  Excellency  the 
(governor)  Musheer,  for  a  visit  of  ceremony,  leaving 
business  for  the  morrow. 

Oriental  luxury,  such  as  we  are  not  used  to  in  the 
South,  was  shown  in  this  Eamadan  evening  in  the 
strength  of  the  summer  season.  We  were  received  in 
a  garden  profusely  embellished  with  oleander,  holly- 
hocks, and  jessamine — an  arcade  at  the  end  being  hung 
with  coloured  lamps,  a  fountain  of  water  sparkhng  in 
the  midst,  and  the  military  band  playing  outside. 

His  Excellency  Wameek  Pasha  was  reclining  on  silk 
cushions  in  a  comer  of  the  Ew&n,  and  we  were  placed 
on  gilded  chairs  obliquely  before  him,  and  supplied  with 
diamond-ornamented  Chibooks,  coffee  in  gold  outercups 
(zurfs)  and  delicious  iced  sherbets.  Ameen  Effendi,  his 
coadjutor,  was  likewise  on  a  chair,  and  he  spoke  excel- 
lent French,  having  resided  long  in  Paris.  He  had  also 
once  paid  a  visit  to  London. 

Next  day,  at  the  British  Consulate,  I  was  informed 
that  a  private  letter  from  the  Dardanelles  described  the 
English  and  French  Fleets  as  being  anchored  in  Besika 
Bay,  having  a  steamer  continually  plying  between  them 
and  the  capital. 

During  the  afternoon  of  the  same  day  we  learned  that 
the  Governor,  Wameek  Pashk,  had  summoned  the 
Shaikhs  of  the  quarters  of  the  town,  and  had  rebuked 


278  PRECAUTIONS  AND  PATROLS. 

them  for  allowing  a  panic  to  gain  ground  at  such  a 
crisis,  and  turning  to  the  Christian  representative  he 
demanded  if  it  were  true  that  his  people  were  collecting 
arms  and  ammunition  ?  The  answer  was  '  Yes ;  but 
merely  for  self-protection.'  Whereupon  His  Excellency 
rose  up  in  a  fury  and  left  the  room,  but  Izzet  Pashk  (the 
general  of  division  in  command  of  the  Turkish  troops) 
followed,  and  persuaded  him  to  return. 

The  result  of  the  interview  was  that  sentinels  were 
posted  at  the  town  gates  to  prevent  the  transit  of  arms, 
but  they  were  not  to  meddle  with  houses  or  persons, 
either  inside  or  outside  of  the  gates ;  and  a  patrol  com- 
pany was  ordered  to  circulate .  through  the  streets  by 
night.  All  this  would  be  utterly  useless  in  case  of  real 
insurrection — seeing  that  the  town  walls  were  very  much 
broken  in  the  intervals  between  the  gates. 

The  fortress  of  Acre  was  not  much  better  off,  for  the 
garrison  had  been  drawn  off  for  Constantinople  service, 
and  only  eleven  cannoniers  remained  to  mount  guard. 

On  that  and  the  following  night  we  transacted  busi- 
ness with  the  Governor  at  the  Seraglio,  but  without  satis- 
factory result.  The  state  of  our  reception  was  in  no  way 
diminished.  Among  the  refreshments  served  were  ices  of 
different  colours  and  flavours — in  more  liberal  quantities 
than  in  England — ^hard  and  cold,  in  beautiful  porcelain 
dishes  on  a  large  silver  tray  ;  and  as  for  conversation,  no 
harsh  Arabic  was  to  be  heard,  only  soft  flowing  Turkish 
and  Italian.  All  disagreeable  topics  were  avoided — 
everything  was  delightful  and  polite. 

What  a  picture  this  gave  of  Turkish  official  manage- 
ment of  troublesome  business  amid  those  troublous  times 


COURAGE  RE^aVED.  279 

— ^no  loss  of  presence  of  mind — no  hurry — all  sweet,  luxu- 
rious, and  serene ;  indifferent  to  the  fate  of  individuals 
and  communities,  while  believing  in  the  ultimate  triumph 
of  Isl&m,  whatever  might  betide  the  fortunes  of  other 
nations  and  creeds. 

The  next  day  was  spent  in  visiting  old  friends  and 
antiquities.  At  night  the  town  was  patrolled  by  two  com- 
panies of  twenty  men  each,  with  an  officer,  taking  alter- 

r 

nate  turns.  At  a  late  hour,  however,  the  Christians  were 
singing  riotously  about  the  streets, — perhaps  the  Turkish 
patrols  had  gone  home  to  bed.  The  Christians  still  con- 
tinuing to  send  off  property  to  the  mountains,  the 
Musheer  wrote  a  circular  letter  to  the  Consuls  to  engage 
their  assistance  in  restoriag  public  confidence. 

News  arrived  that  the  allied  fleet  off  Besika  had  been 
augmented,  and  that  an  attempted  insurrection  of  Hel- 
lenists at  Constantinople  had  been  suppressed. 

During  a  ride  to  the  Nahr  el  Kelb  (Dog  Eiver)  to 
see  the  ancient  sculptures — ^Roman,  Egyptian,  and  As- 
syrian, upon  the  rocks  there— we  came  upon  a  party  of 
Maronites^  at  the  coffee-station.  They  were  vain-glo- 
riously  proclaiming  to  each  other  what  they  had  done 
before,  and  were  then  prepared  to  do,  against  the  Druzes. 
It  was  well  that  none  of  these  were  there  to  overhear 
them. 

My  poor  Moslem  kftwwases  seemed  lost  in  such  a 

^  The  Maronites  (named  after  their  teacher  Maroon)  are  descendantB  of 
the  ancient  inhabitants,  who^  being  Ohristians,  submitted  to  the  Roman 
Church  at  the  first  Crusade  in  the  twelfth  century.  The  Druzes  a/e  [so- 
called]  Arabs  who  took  possession  of  their  part  of  the  Mountain  (Lebanon), 
then  an  empty  waste,  in  821.  They  afterwards  adopted  the  tenets  of  Hakem 
as  taught  by  his  adherent  Mohammed  Ibn-Ismail  ed-dardzi,  from  whom  they 
have  taken  their  name  of '  Druze^.' 


i 


'a 
\ 


UNEXPECTED  RELIEF.  281 

largely  indebted  to  the  Custom  House  when  he  found 
himself  thus  unexpectedly  relieved. 

What  was  law  for  the  British  traders  was,  of  course, 
law  for  everybody  else,  though  none  had  ventured  to 
seek  for  justice.  Hence  the  delight  at  discovering  that 
the  legitimate  action  of  the  Jerusalem  Consul,  on  behalf 
of  the  British  subjects  entitled  to  his  protection,  had 
wrought  out  for  all — Moslems  and  Christians,  of  various 
nationalities — a  deliverance  so  welcome  and  unlooked  for. 

Next  came  in  the  said  Kadi,  with  a  train  of  thirty 
merchants,  nearly  half  of  them  Moslems,  who  averred 
that  I  had  saved  the  town  from  destruction,  for  that  the 
commerce  could  not  have  subsisted  for  another  year 
under  the  oppression  of  the  local  authorities. 

The  chief  export  trade  from  Sidon  is  tobacco,  grown 
in  the  neighbouring  districts;  and  the  principal  houses, 
which  are  forty  in  number,  have  each  some  minor  depen- 
dant houses,  so  that  at  least  200  families  had  been  saved 
from  impending  ruin.  Application  had  been  made  in  vain 
to  the  local  Governors,  and  the  Customs  officers  had  threat- 
ened them  with  vengeance  if  they  should  dare  to  complain 
to  Constantinople.  X 

It   must   be  remembered   that   with  the  system  of    - 
farming  the  taxes  the  local  Governors  have  little  or  no    ' 
power  to  redress  wrongs  inflicted  on  the  population  by 
those  who  collect  the  revenues. 

The  merchants  had  then  applied  to  the  local  Consular 
Agents,  but  the  Eussian,  the  American,  and  I  think  others, 
being  Turkish  subjects  (and  therefore  possessed  of  no 
protection  whenever  they  might  happen  to  be  out  of 
office),  told  them  that  since  the  English  Consul  had  taken 


282  THE  MOSLEMS  GRATEFUL. 

up  the  matter— for  his  people,  they  (the  Moslem  subjects 
of  the  Sultan)  would  be  sure  to  get  the  same  privil^es, 
or  exemptions  for  the  arrears,  as  the  Europeans  were 
expecting,  when  he  procured  the  revision  of  the  tarif 
according  to  law. 

The  Consular  Agents  were  themselves  all  traders  m 
silk  and  tobacco,  and  they  thought  it  safer  to  i^^ait  for  the 
help  to  come  to  them.  The  British  Consular  Agent  him- 
self and  his  family  (the  Abelas — of  Maltese  extraction) 
were  likely  to  be  gainers  by  the  abatement  of  the  exorbi- 
tant claims  of  arrears  by  '  una  considerabilissima  somma.' 

After  this  party  there  came  running  in  another  Mos- 
lem, named  Hhaj  Hhasan  (he  having  been  out  of  town 
when  the  former  deputation  entered).  Among  other 
things  he  declared  that  in  the  course  of  his  business  jour- 
neys over  the  districts  of  Belad  Bash&rah  and  Bel&d 
Shukeef  he  had  heard  the  native  peasant  children  invoking 
blessings  on  him  who  had  procured  so  great  benefits  for 
those  districts. 

This  last  effusion  of  gratitude  referred  to  the  recent 
deliverance  which  had  been  effected  for  therfi  fi-om  pay- 
ment of  one-fifth,  instead  of  the  legal  tax  of  one-tenth, 
on  all  agricultin*al  produce  (in  its  raw  state,  and  previous 
to  becoming  an  article  of  commerce  in  the  towns).  In 
these  districts  the  agricultural  produce  was,  of  course, 
almost  exclusively  tobacco. 

Here  then,  at  Sidon — and  this  is  an  important  town 
— the  Moslems  were  clearly  in  a  friendly  mood  towards 
the  British  Consular  authorities,  and  I  might  hope, 
even  in  spite  of  the  excitement  in  politics  having  stirred 
up    such    daogerous   fanatical    antagonism    throughout 


TOBACCO  DUES  AT  TYRE.  283 

the  country,  to- exert  some  infiiience  in  favour  of  the 
native  Christians.  For  the  time  the  effect  was  excellent 
and  most  opportune. 

It  is,  however,  grievous  to  have  to  add  that  the  re- 
joicing of  the  town  was  premature.  The  relief  turned 
out  to  have  been  only  a  suspension  of  the  making  up  of 
accounts,  till  the  final  decision  should  be  brought  from 
Constantinople.  The  delay  had  lasted  so  long  that  the 
people  beheved  that  they  had  gained  their  cause. 

My  appeal  to  the  Porte  had  nevertheless  some  good 
effect.  Claims  were  really  reduced,  and  the  Customs 
officer  was  rebuked  for  his  rapacity ;  time  was  also 
allowed  for  gradually  paying  up  arreare,  after  which 
things  went  on  again  in  their  old  jog-trot  of  partiality 
and  shuffling. 

Going  southwards  our  next  station  was  Tyre  (Soor). 
Here  too  we  found  the  question  of  the  tobacco  duties  was 
making  a  great  stir.  There  came  to  us  a  Tyrian  deputa- 
tion of  the  tobacco-traders  headed  by  the  Mohammedan 
Judge  (K&di)  and  by  the  new  Governor  of  the  town  (of 
course  also  a  Moslem)  to  express  their  gratitude,  and  point 
upwards  to  the  English  broad  flag  overhead. 

Before  we  left  Soor  a  public  breakfast  was  given  to  me, 
which  was  presided  over  by  a  Moslem  merchant  who  had 
benefited  by  the  abatement  of  the  extortionate  tobacco 
duty. 

We  were  received  in  a  court,  trellised  over  with  vine, 
where  jets  of  water  were  playing  among  flower-beds 
and  between  the  spreading  foliage  of  banana  ;  pipes  and 
coffee  with  conversation  wiled  away  the  ceremonious 
interval  before  the  feast  was  served  up. 


TAX-FARMING  EXEMPLIFIED.  285 

had  armed  him  with  means  by  which  he  could  coerce 
into  submission  all  who  hesitated  to  pay  his  demands. 

He  could  practically  shut  the  seaport,  preventing  any 
tobacco  from  being  shipped,  and  thus  throw  the  whole     \ 
crop  upon  the  hands  of  the  peasant  producers,  while  at 
the  same  time  ruining  the  merchants  who  were  anxious 
to  export  and  thus  fulfil  their  contracts  in  other  places. 

To  get  rid,  even  at  a  nominal  profit,  of  their  crops, 
the  cultivators  had  been  obliged  to  submit  to  the  tax- 
farmer,  while  the  merchants  had  also  yielded  rather  than 
incur  disgrace  through  breach  of  contract. 

I  was  told  that  the  tax-farmer  had  so  many  relations 
among  the  employes  of  the  European  Consulates  in 
Beyroot,  that  no  one  had  been  found  to  heed  the  appeals 
of  these  poor  people  under  the  crushing  burden  laid 
upon  them  in  the  name  of  the  Turkish  Government. 

Besides  the  extortionate  export  duty  levied  at  th^ 
port,  the  peasantry  (native)  had  been  made,  as  before 
said,  to  pay  one-fifth  of  their  crops  instead  of  the  lawful 
tax  of  half  that  amount,  i.e.  one-tenth  on  all  agricultural 
produce. 

Thus  matters  stood,  when  a  vigorous  protest  made 
by  my  Consulate  on  behalf  of  British  traders  brought 
rehef,  not  only  to  them,  but  to  all.  Christians  and 
Moslems  alike. 

Nothing  could  have  been  better  timed  for  giving  me,  at 
this  critical  period,  a  moral  influence  among  the  fanatical 
Mohammedan  population  of  a  very  large  district  now, 
which  I  was  able  to  exercise  on  behalf  of  the  terrified 
Christians,  for  their  protection,  when  other  means  were 
not  within  reach,  for  curbing  the  political  and  religious 


X' 


286  REDRESS  THROUGH  CX)NSULS. 

excitement  caused  by  the  fever  of  the  Russian  war  against 
Turkey. 

The  above  case  will  give  some  idea  of  the  manner 
in  which  duties  are  levied  in  the  Turkish  Empire  by 
rapacious  tax-farmers,  ugt^jinfrgcQigntly  Christians,  who 
have  bought  the  oflSce,  and  who  enrich  themselves  at  the 
expense  of  the  peasant  population  and  of  the  commercial 
classes  in  the  towns. 

The  Imperial  Treasury  in  Constantinople  receives  but 
a  small  proportion  of  the  sums  wrung  from  the  unhappy 
producers. 

Enterprise  is  checked,  the  resomrces  of  the  country 
cannot  be  developed.  The  Government  and  the  governed 
are  wronged.  This  case  also  shows  the  effect  of  having 
British  subjects  settled  in  the  land,  who  through  their 
Consular  protectors  are  able  to  claim  redress  against  ex- 
tortion such  as  is  here  described. 

Redress  given  to  British  subjects  in  any  one  instance 
is  naturally  followed  up  by  a  claim  for  equal  justice  from 
other  foreigners,  suffering  under  similar  exactions,  and 
then  the  native  Mohammedans  and  others  can  no  longer, 
for  very  shame's  sake,  be  refused  some  relief  by  their 
own  Mohammedan  rulers. 

The  laws  of  the  land  are  good  if  only  justly  admi- 
nistered, and  wherever  in  Turkey  there  are  British  set- 
tlers whose  interests  are  protected  by  an  eflScient  Consul, 
there  all  other  settlers  and  the  natives  profit  indirectly 
and  share  in  the  justice  which,  if  granted  to  one  class, 
cannot  in  decency  be  wholly  refused  to  the  others. 

After  leaving  Tyre,  and  on  reaching  the  highest 
elevation  of  our  hilly  road,  we  looked  back  to  take  leave 


TIBNEEN.      A   CHIEF  IN  UNIFORM.  2B7 

of  the  Mediterranean,  and  a  few  more  paces  brought 
us  to  the  fine  view  of  the  whole  Belad  Besh&ra,  backed 
by  the  Mount  Hermon.^  Tibneen  (one  of  the  capitals 
of  the  district)  lay  in  my  homeward  route.  It  stands 
in  a  conspicuous  position,  and  was  then  the  stronghold  of 
Hamed  el  Bek. 

On  approaching  that  grand  old  Crusaders'  castle,  we 
were  the  observed  of  many  beholders  in  gay  clothing 
upon  the  parapets,  and  soon  our  horses'  tramp  rattled 
within  the  paved  passage  of  the  outer  gate. 

In  the  div^n  we  were  received  by  a  relative  of  the 
chief,  Hamed  el  Bek,  surrounded  by  about  thirty  Shaikhs 
of  villages,  who  were  paying  their  Bairglm  ceremonial 
visits,  arrayed  in  bright  c^jloured  robes,  with  gold  em  - . 
broidery. 

All  rose  in  silence.  Water  was  brought  for  hands 
and  face  washing,  and  incense  was  burnt  as  a  compli- 
ment. By  my  side  I  remarked  an  old  man  of  dignified 
deportment,  but  with  a  loud  voice,  of  whom  more  will 
be  said  hereafter. 

After  sherbet  and  coffee  had  been  served,  the  Bek 
himself  entered  in  a  uniform  of  blue  and  gold,  which  had 
been  sent  him  from  Constantinople ;  and  we  afterwards 
learned  that  the  delav  in  his  coming  to  welcome  his 
guests  had  arisen  from  his  wearisome  efforts  to  get  on  his 
uniform  over  some  of  his  Arab  costume,  some  parts  of 
the  dress  having  got  split  in  the  operation. 

He  was  a  wrinkled  old  man,  with  a  black  beard,  in 
part  dyed  with  henna,  in  honour  of  the  festival.   He  was 

1  Tbe  Belad  Besh&ra  is  the  lifctle  known  and  fruitful  district  lying  east 
and  south  from  Tyre — prohablj  *  Ghdilec!  of  the  Gentiles.'.  - 


ARAB  BARDS.     HAWKING.  289 

introduced  for  singing ;  their  only  accompanying  instru- 
ment was  a  small  violin  with  two  strings,  called  the 
EeMbeh,  played  with  a  bow,  and  held  downwards. 

The  preliminary  tuning  over,  a  discordant  bawling 
commenced,  the  simple  air  of  the  Keb&beh  holding  no 
connection  with  the  tune  that  was  sung,  but  coming  in 
between  the  pauses — at  least  so  it  seemed  to  my  poor 
European  ears. 

The  dialect  of  the  songs  was  scarcely  intelligible  to  us, 
being  the  high  poetic  language  of  Antar  and  the  Mo'all- 
aKat, 

Our  host,  however,  who  took  pleasure  in  hearing 
such  compositions,  and  prided  himself  on  his  familiarity 
with  the  desert  Arabic,  translated  for  us  in  a  subdued 
voice  as  they  went  on. 

One  song  was  in  the  form  of  a  dialogue : — 

'  I  have  a  mare  beautiful  and  swift,  she  will  run  against  the  smell  of  gun- 
powder. 

If  you  desire  to  be  a  ruler  of  your  people,  you  must  give  your  son  and 
grandson  hostages  to  the  Turkish  Paah&.' 

<  I  will  not  give  these  as  hostages  to  the  Pashi,  and  yet  I  will  be  the 
governor. 

The  Pashik  is  but  one  man,  but  I  am  equal  to  a  thousand,'  &c.,  &c. 

It  was  to  be  hoped  that  in  the  above  there  was  no 
allusion  to  personal  history.  Then  followed  songs  on 
topics  of  war  among  the  tribes,  which  after  a  time 
became  tedious. 

The  conversation  then  turned  to  the  subject  of 
hawking,  and  I  described  something  of  our  European 
practice,  knowing  that  in  that  part  of  Syria  hawking  is 
a  favourite  pastime.  The  Bek  invited  me  to  share  in 
their  diversion  during  the  season  :  it  is  of  two  kinds — that 
VOL.  I.  u 


290  ANOTHER  DAY  AT  TIBNEEN. 

in  which  the  small  hawk  (w&kiri,  or,  smaller  still,  the 
derSj)  is  used,  and  that  of  the  great  falcon^  the  Kott. 
It  is  conducted  on  a  scale  of  something  like  princely 
magnificence  worthy  of  the  old  feudal  times. 

I  remained  another  whole  day  at  Tibneen,  glad  of 
the  opportunity  of  seeing  the  personages  and  usages  of 
the  people  at  such  a  time,  when  all  information  that  was 
authentic  was  useful. 

The  chmate  of  this  altitude  was  cooler  than  upon  the 
sea  coast.  The  niorning  was  misty,  and  it  was  a  late  hour 
before  Hermon  (Jebel  esh  Shaikh)  revealed  himself  in  full 
dignity. 

The  view  all  around  was  most  magnificent,  extending 
northwards  deep  into  the  Beka'a  (Plain  of  Coelo  Syria), 
between  the  parallel  lines  of  Lebanon  and  Anti-Lebanon, 
with  the  castle  of  Shukeef  apparently  at  its  entrance. 
Hermon  lay  to  the  east,  with  green  woods  intervening. 

For  a  lover  of  sylvan  sports,  how  much  preferable 
must  be  the  position  of  governor  of  such  a  territory,  than 
to  be  *  Prince  of  the  Lebanon '  in  Beteddeen,  as  that  rest- 
less political  tyrant,  the  Ameer  Besheer,  had  been  not 
long  before. 

Perhaps,  however,  he  would  not  have  thought  so, 
having  his  own  special  tastes  to  indulge. 

During  the  Egyptian  occupation  (it  is  not  easy  to 
invent  a  more  appropriate  term  to  denote  their  possession 
of  Syria  while  it  lasted — till  1840),  Hhamad  el  Bek,  our' 
present  host,  always  held  out  against  them,  and  fought 
for  the  Sultan,  in  alliance  with  the  Druze  Jonbl&ts,  his 
not  distant  neighbours  in  the  Lebanon,  in  opposition  to 
the  Ameer  Besheer  just  referred  to. 


NATIVE  VISITORS.     A  PERSIAN  PRINCE.  291 

Hhamad  el  Bek  fought  a  battle  with  his  own  cavalry 
on  his  own  ground,  and  afterwards  assisted  at  Acre,  in 
our  great  affair  there  in  1840.  Hence  he  was  rewarded 
by  the  Turkish  Government  with  the  rank  of  Kai-makS,in, 
which  entitled  him  to  the  before-mentioned  blue  uniform 
with  gold  epaulettes,  and  to  have  a  kaww^s  oiBcially 
in  his  service — dressed  in  Constantinople  fashion. 

This  chieftain  had  no  direct  hen:s  living. 

The  Shaikhs  still  remained,  or  rather,  as  some  went 
away,  others  arrived  in  their  place,  to  pay  their  respects 
on  account  of  the  festival.  During  the  forenoon  the  Bek 
gave  his  audiences,  and  transacted  Secretary-business  in 
the  Div&n ;  but  the  tediousness  of  ceremony  was  never 
relaxed,  either  among  the  guests  with  each  other,  or 
between  them  and  the  host  Totally  unlike  visiting 
among  equals  in  country  mansions  in  England,  this  was 
more  the  assembling  of  inferior  chiefs  to  do  a  kind  of 
homage  to  their  feudal  head. 

The  highest  reverence  of  all  was  paid  by  every  person 
to  the  old  gentleman  before  alluded  to  as  being  seated 
next  to  me  on  my  arrival,  and  to  whom  the  Bek  pre- 
sented me  as  Nas'r  Allah  Kh&n,  uncle  of  the  Shah  of 
Persia ;  who,  on  the  accession  of  the  reigning  Shah,  Nas'r 
ed  Deen,  had  found  it  desirable  to  leave  his  country, 
since  which  time  he  had  taken  up  his  abode  as  an  exile 
among  these  his  co-religionists,  the  Met&wilah  Shiahs. 

This  incident  illustrates  the  way  in  which  far  distant 
Eastern  lands  keep  up  knowledge  of  each  other,  and 
intercourse,  as  in  past  ages,  to  an  extent  which  we  Euro- 
peans are  slow  to  realize  and  to  take  into  account. 

This  gentleman  alone  was  accustomed  to  sit  in  the 

V  2 


INDIAN  DURWEESHES.     A  FANATIC.  293 

remarks,  which  only  qnhanced  the  fun ;  but  the  Khan 
began  to  doze  over  what  he  was  not  able  to  under- 
stand. 

He,  however,  woke  up  when  some  impudent-looking 
Durweeshes  from  Lucknow  came  in,  and  were  solemnly 
saluted  by  the  Bek.  They  squatted  down  in  a  good 
place  (as  these  holy  men  always  do),  and  the  leader 
spoke  some  Arabic;  they  were  all,  however,  more  at 
ease  in  Persian  with  the  Khan.  These  Indian  Moslems, 
too,  were  strangers  from  a  far-off  land. 

Strange  for  me  to  find  British  subjects  within  my 
jurisdiction  in  such  an  out-of-the-way  place. 

During  the  general  conversation,  one  of  my  company 
mentioned  the  name  of  God,  as  indeed  can  scarcely  be 
avoided  in  Arabic  speaking,  on  which  one  of  the  native 
Shaikhs  (wearing  a  green  doak — the  sacred  colour)  called 
out,  *  Who  is  that  talking  about  God  ?  I  want  to  know 
what  you  say  about  the  Messiah.  Is  he  God,  or  is  he 
not?' 

My  friend,  apprehensive  df  some  outburst  of  fana- 
ticism among  the  Met&wilah,  did  not  like  this,  but  had 
the  courage  to  reply,  '  You  say  that  he  is  the  Spirit  of 
God,  and  we  say  that  he  is  the  Son  of  God,'  and  refused 
to  say  any  more.  Fortunately  we  were  not  liable  to  the 
violence  that  threatened  Henry  Martyn  among  the  Shirazi 
Shiahs  when  this  same  subject  was  mooted. 

The  Bek  broke  off  the  topic  by  retiring,  for  the 
afternoon  nap,  to  the  next  room,  whereupon  all  had  to 
rise  in  silence  till  he  was  gone. 

Then  several  of  the  Shaikhs  stretched  themselves  on 
the  floor,  some  in  the  LewS,n  (alcove),  and  I  in  the  balcony 


294  JEREED-P] 

where  I  was — all  for  the  samt 
heat  of  the  day. 

Before  the  rest  had  aro 
and  I  walked  round  the  est 
marked  a  good  deal  of  cnia 
rabbeted  stones  of  Jewish  era 
near  the  pool,  of  water,  be  ^ 

dependants,  lay  an  ancient  sarcophagus,  with  uo  sculp- 
ture whatever  upon  it,  and  the  cover  of  it  gone. 

Towards  evening  there  was  jereed-playing    on  the 
Maid&n  (the  casting  the  javehn  by  men  on  horseback) 
on  the  open  '  place '  or  exercise-ground.     The  two 
performers  were  slaves  of  the  Bek,  strong  men  and 
less  riders.     The  walls  and  parapets  of  the  castle 
hned  with  spectators. 

The  broken  courts  within  the  caslle  were  fiill  of  h 
of  the  visitors,  in  open  air  of  course,  and  it  was  ami 
to  see  so  many  tails  switching  from  side  to  side  in  str 
lines  in  the  bright  sunshine,  to  whisk  away  the 
The  horses  were  of  tolerably  good  quality,  but  the 
of  the  Bek  himself  was,  as  might  be  expected,  sup 
in  breed  and  show. 

Hhamad  el  Bek  (the  chief)  told  me  of  a  village  a 
hour's  distance,  called  Serim,  where  the  rocks  are 
forated  with  labyrinths  much  more  than  those  of  Sai 
near  Nabloos.  No  doubt  that  a  month  might  be 
spent  at  Tibneen,  as  there  are  many  interesting  piaci 
visit  in  daily  rides — such  as  Shukeef,  Kaddis,  etc.,  be 
game  to  hunt  in  the  green  woods ;  for  me  there  woul 
the  study  of  the  people — their  history,  and  their  reli 
to  others. 


V 


s 


'N 


JOURNEY  TO  NAZARETH.  295 

Having  to  start  early  in  the  morning,  I  took  leave 
overnight  of  the  Bek,  and  of  the  Persian  Prince,  exchang- 
ing hhoda  hajiz  with  the  latter.  Compliments  are  endless 
with  these  people.  We  also  parted  from  our  friends  of 
Tyre  and  Sidon,  who  had  beeii  with  us  so  far. 

Our  journey  forwards  was  through  a  considerable 
forest  on  our  way  to  Nazareth.  The  Christians  in  the 
district  of  Belad  Besh&rah,  which  we  now  quitted,  and 
where  they  have  no  advocate  between  them  and  the  local 
rulers,  amount  to  about  1,500  men ;  they  told  me  that 
under  Hhamad  el  Bek  they  were  of  good  heart,  but  that 
his  rival,  Tamar  Bek,  the  ruler  at  Bint  el  Jabail^  was  their 
bitter  persecutor. 

Our  next  resting-place  was  Nazareth,  and  here  one 
day  was  suificient,  affairs  as  they  then  were  being  already 
known  to  me. 

The  Moslems  and  the  Roman  Catholics  carried  them- 
selves less  haughtily  than  before  in  regard  to  the  native 
Protestants.  The  latter  include  not  only  Nazarenes,  but 
also  inhabitants  of  several  villages  around,  and  are  a 
fine  robust  set  of  men.  Among  a  deputation  of  them 
who  came  to  visit  me  as  the  Consul  of  their  missionary 
pastor,  and  his  house  and  school,  was  one  man  of  the 
village  of  Tura  4n,  who  told  me  of  a  Greek  curate  of  the 
village  of  Miijaidal  (where  he  served  a  flourishing  church), 
having  joined  the  Protestants,  and  reading  prayers  in  our 
Liturgy  (the  Arabic  translation). 

The  Governor  of  Nazareth,  Moollah  'Ali,  had  been 
displaced  for  his  conduct  during  the  riot  at  the  Protestant 
school-house  in  1852,  in  which  his  own  son  took  an  active 
part;  but  he  had  since  expressed  so  much  contrition 


!  Protest 

I  DOW  qi 

moved 

at   th( 


e  the  gi 
family  < 
tooa.  I 
il  of  tl 

QgtO  Ti 

Ottoma 
estowed 
r  times 
I  rival  c 
I  the  aac 
.  Turks  1 
off  riva 

J  -Jirely  dei 

and  subdue  bj 
others,  keeping 
no  cost,  but  n 
money  which  a! 
for  place. 

'Abdu  1  Ha 
and  gossipped  i 
there,  and  exhi 
Pursuing  oi 
hours  from  N 
hour's  halt  at  J 
Nabloos  has 
lawlessness  of  it 


SUMMARY  MEASURES.  297 

in  the  evening  insulted  our  kawwftses  for  being  in  the 
employ  of  Christians,  they  being  our  official  guards,  and 
always  necessarily  Mohammedans. 

They  were  punished,  after  a  court  had  been  held  in 
the  open  air,  where  the  governor  of  the  town  and  the 
k&di  (judge)  gave  judgment  in  the  moonlight  at  our  door. 
The  sentence  of  bastinado  was  carried  out  on  the  spot, 
while  a  numerous  rabble  filled  the  street,  or  looked  on 
from  roofs  of  houses. 

This  incident  served  to  show  what  was  the  disposition 
of  the  people  in  this  town,  even  now  at  the  beginning  of 
the  war,  and  to  what  lengths  they  might  go  against  the 
few  unprotected  native  Christians  in  the  place,  if  not 
checked  in  time.  The  lesson  thus  given  was  not  lost 
upon  the  Nabloos  Moslems,  who  remained  quiet,  as  far 
as  their  Christian  fellow-subjects  were  concerned,  till  the 
end  of  the  Crimean  war. 

It  is  of  the  first  importance  to  stop  the  very  earliest 
symptoms  of  disorder  in  a  population  of  turbulent  Ori- 
entals, especially  when  there  is  little  but  moral  force  at 
command,  as  was  the  case  in  Palestine  in  1853, 

Stem  and  instant  repression  was  the  means  successfully 
employed  for  the  preservation  of  order  in  these  critical 
times,  when  a  very  small  outbreak  of  popular  disorder 
must  have  speedily  raised  a  ferment  in  which  many 
thousands  of  defenceless  Christians  would  have  been  in 
peril  of  their  lives,  if  indeed  there  were  left  the  possibility 
of  saving  life  at  all,  when  once  mischief  had  been  allowed 
to  begin.i 

^  This  sketch  of  the  condition  of  things  in  Palestine  in  1853,  slight  though 
it  iS;  may  perhaps  convey  to  readers  experienced  in  Oriental  ways  some 


298  FIGHTING.      THE  WOMEN'S  SHARE. 

The  whole  district  was  in  a  very  uneasy  condition. 

Next  day  (July  14th)  we  set  forwards  towards  Jeru- 
salem, a  distance  of  twelve  hours.  Arriving  alongside 
the  village  of  How^ra,  a  party  of  Moslems  begged  leave  to 
travel  in  our  company.  In  explanation  of  their  desire,  they 
pointed  to  a  low  breastwork  wall  adjoining  the  village, 
in  front  of  which,  during  a  conflict  two  days  before, 
between  this  village  and  those  of  Cuza  and  Bata,  seven- 
teen people  had  been  killed  (five  of  them  women). 

The  last-named  village  is  scarcely  three  gun-shots  dis- 
tant from  How&ra,  and  yet  there  was  war  between  them, 
though  all  were  Moslems  alike,  and  there  was  no  govern- 
ment authority  to  interpose  and  stop  the  bloodshed. 

The  loss  of  the  women  is  accounted  for  by  their 
having  been  present  to  bring  up  ammunition  to  their  male 
relations  in  the  fight.  They  also  take  part  in  the  fray, 
by  exciting  the  men  to  valour  by  their  war-cries,  and 
screams  of  reproach  when  deserved,  stigmatizing  the-  war- 
riors, if  necessary,  as  ^kedeesh^  and  not  *  aseel^'^  as  men 
ought  to  be.  ^ 

Sometimes,  as  we  were  told,  the  w^omen  will  even 
stand  in  front  for  the  brave  champions  to  rest  their  guns 
upon  the  woman's  shoulder  while  taking  aim,  and  dare 
the  enemy  to  fire  at  a  woman,  which  no  Arab  will  do  if 
he  can  help  it,  on  account  of  the  disgrace  which  such  an 
act  would  bring  upon  him. 

Palestine  was  in  an  unsettled  state  from  north  to 

slight  idea  of  the  constant  vigilance  exercised  by  Mr.  i^n,  and  of  the 
powerful  inflaence  which  his  well-known  character  for  energy  enabled  him 
to  exert  in  preserving  order  in  the  land^  although  at  so  great  a  distance  firom 
aid  by  material  force  of  any  kind. — Editob's  Note. 

*  The  Kedeesh  is  a  pack-horse  for  the  road — a  sorry  beast  at  best.    The 
Asedi  is  the  high  blood  horse  of  the  desert  breeding. 


THE  WAR  .FEVER.  299 

south,  from  east  to  west.  The  war  fever  had  infected 
every  petty  tribe  and  clan,  and  the  preoccupation  of  the 
Turks,  with  their  far  greater  business  of  war,  gave  our 
people  just  the  opportunity  they  desired  for  fighting  out 
all  their  quarrels. 

As  usual  in  troublous  times,  the  wild  Bedaween  were 
closing  in  and  hovering  around  like  vultures  over  their    ' 
prey.     These  wil4  tribes  were  in  some  instances  callecn 
in  by  the  peasantry  as  allies — some  tribes  on  this  side,    / 
others  on  that. 


Panic  ftmong  the  Chrisliuu — Pashi  of  Jenisalem  nld  and  helpless — FlgbU 
close  to  our  camp — The  attack  at  aunrue — Nightly  prsparadotie  for  Sxbi 
—Efforts  to  set  GoTemment  in  motioD— Battles— Sbukh  I 
SnccessCul  interveDtion — A  Truce  efiacted — A  Oomet 

Immediately  on  my  arrival  at  Jeniaalem,  in  ( 
same  hour,  I  had  to  receive  accounts  of  the  nei 
log  villages  recommencing  hostilities  against  eac 

Meanwhile  the  Christians  in  the  city  were  o 
with  panic  dread  of  impending  Moslem  insur 
massacres,  and  plunderings. 

The  Greek  Convent  had  some  time  befor 
currency  to  a  rumour  that  there  had  been  a  i 
Damascus. 

The  shops  in  the  bazaars  were  closed,  fami 
shut  themselves  up  within  their  dwellings,  anr 
frantically  endeavoured  to  keep  up  each  other's 
by  firing  guns  and  pistols  from  the  roofs  of  theii 
Some  were  ill  in  bed  with  fright. 

This  had  been  going  on  for  some  days  and  nigl 
the  preceding  day  being  Friday  (the  Moslem  S 
the  Christians  had  made  up  their  minds  that  the  i 
was  to  take  place  after  the  noon  day  Moslem  pr 
the  Noble  Sanctuary  (Hharam  esh  Shereef,  or 
EuclosureJ  should  be  over,  and  when  the  city  wi 


PANIC  IN  JERUSALEM.  301 

armed  peasants,  who  had  come  from  the  surrounding 
country  to  attend  the  Moslem  prayers. 

Nothing  of  the  kind  had,  however,  occurred;  but 
such  had  been  the  terror,  the  extremity  of  fear  of  the 
unhappy  native  Christians,  that  mothers  had  kept  their 
sturdy  young  sons  at  home  from  work,  hiding  them 
in  the  hareems,  while  they  themselves  went  trembling 
to  inquire  of  their  European  friends  *  whether  all  Chris- 
tians were  going  to  be  killed  on  account  of  Kussia  being 
at  war  with  Turkey,  or  whether  only  the  Greeks  (as  of 
the  same  religion  with  Kussia)  would  be  murdered,  while 
the  Latins  and  others  would  be  spared.'  The  Jews  also 
took  the  alarm,  and  came  inquiring  what  they  were  to 
do  when  the  moment  for  slaughter  arrived. 

In  a  similar  panic  which  had  occurred  during  my 
absence  the  week  before,  matters  had  become  so  serious 
that  it  was  necessary  summarily  to  check  the  growing 
fermentation. 

A  Jew  came  running  breathless  to  my  country  place, 
where  my  family  were  encamped,  as  usual,  in  tents  near 
Jerusalem  for  the  summer,  to  ask  whether  he  might  not 
remove  'a  little  box '  of  property  which  he  had  packed 
up,  into  the  walled  enclosure  where  stood  the  British  Con- 
sulate and  the  Church. 

This  was  of  necessity  peremptorily  refused ;  for  the 
bringing  of  this  one  *  little  box '  would  have  caused  the 
report  to  spread,  hke  wildfire,  that  the  Consulate  con- 
sidered the  moment  of  danger  to  have  arrived,  and  the 
crowding  of  frightened  people  with  their  goods,  to  what 
they  considered  a  haven  of  refuge,  would  have  given 
only  too  tempting  an  opportunity  for  plunder  to  the 


302 

peasantry, 
the  bazaars 

What  ( 
done  to  stc 
and  which 

massacre  and  blood  ?  The  only  safe  course  was  to  pre- 
vent the  beginning  of  any  such  scramble,  and  notice  was 
therefore  at  once  sent  to  my  Cancelli^re  in  charge  of  tbe 
current  afikirs  of  the  Consulate,  who  had  proclamadon 
made  in  all  the  synagogues,  etc.,  that  any  English  pro- 
tected person,  known  to  propagate  alarm  by  announcing 
an  insurrection  of  the  Mohammedans,  should  be  impri- 
soned for  three  days. 

The  other  Consulates  followed   the  example.     The 
terrified  native  Christians,  being  Turkish  subjects,  v 
left  to  be  dealt  with  by  the  Convent  authorities,  and 
the  impotent  local  rulers. 

Thiis  the  panic  was  calmed,  for  that  week  at  le 
by  the  application  of  the  Oriental  maxim,  that  *  notl" 
will  conquer  fear  but  a  bigger  fear ; '  and  the  feai 
certain  and  instant  imprisonment  served  to  neutralise 
dread  about  what  was  still  future,  and  might  allow 
possible  escape.  For  a  few  days  people  talked 
publicly    about    cutting    throats   and    maltreating 


Next  morning  (Sunday)  I  made  a  circuit  to  the  Gr 
Metropohtan  Bishop  (the  Patriarch  being  absent),  to 
President  of  the  Latin  Convent,  to  the  Chief  Eabbi,  i 
to  Eabbi  Yeshaiah  of  the  Polish  Jews,  and  sent 
Cancelliere  to  other  leading  personages  of  various  desa 
tions,  exhorting  them  to  allay  the  fears  of  the  peo 


THE  DANGER  OF  COWARDICE.  303 

respectively  under  their  authority  and  rule ;  for  it  was 
certain  that  the  excitement  and  foohsh  proceedings  of 
the  frightened  people  were  affording  the  most  du-ect 
encouragement  to  those  who,  being  mischievously  dis- 
posed, might  not  otherwise  have  ventured  on  evil  designs. 

We  were  informed  of  people  having  actually  tendered 
bribes  to  some  of  the  Moslem  inhabitants  of  Jerusalem, 
to  engage  them  to  spare  their  houses  when  the  time 
should  arrive  for  violence.  The  Gfreek  Metropolitan 
Bishop  and  the  President  of  the  Latin  Convent  did  what 
they  could  to  calm  the  fears  of  their  people,  by  preaching 
sermons  to  reassure  them. 

The  Turkish  Government  was  literally  in  a  state  of 
exhaustion  at  the  time.  The  poor  old  Pashk  was  so 
feeble  that,  on  hearing  of  a  scuffle  between  two  Moslems 
in  the  Sanctuary,  he  had  been  taken  do  ill  that  fears  were 
entertained  for  his  Kfe.  He  had  rallied  after  some  days, 
but  was  still  all  but  absolutely  incapable. 

The  mere  presence  on  the  coast  of  an  English  or 
French  ship  of  war  would  have  proved  of  excellent  ser- 
vice. The  paramount  consideration  was  to  keep  the  city 
and  the  country  quiet  by  any  possible  means ;  for  if  an 
accidental  spark  had  kindled  the  smouldering  fires  into  a 
blaze,  no  help  could  be  expected  from  Constantinople  in 
putting  out  the  conflagration.  Deplorable  loss  of  life  and 
property  must  result  if  disorders  were  allowed  to  increase 
upon  us. 

Tumult  or  bloodshed  in  Palestine  at  this  juncture  must 
have  complicated  matters  between  the  European  Powers, 
each  of  whom  would  of  course  treat  this  circumstance  as 
might  best  suit  their  own  individual  interests. 


BULLETS  WHISTLING  AT  SUNRISE.  305 

My  family  and  I  were  in  camp  at  our  country  place, 
called  the  T&libiyeh  (which  overlooks  Jerusalem  from 
the  western  hill),  exactly  one  mile  from  the  City  (Jaffa) 
gate. 

The  Ain  Carem  truce  between  Abu  Gosh  and  OthmS,n 
el  Lahhfi,m  had  expired  during  my  absence,  and  the  Pashk 
(governor)  of  Jerusalem  had  persuaded  both  parties  to 
prolong  it  for  fifteen  days  more,  and  had  summoned  the 
two  rival  chiefe  to  appear  before  him. 

Abu  Gosh,  wily  as  his  name  imports,  (it  signifies 
'  Father  of  Deceit,')  had  obeyed,  and  had  come  in  to  Jeru- 
salem, where  he  made  friends  for  his  cause  by  bribing  the 
Efiendis  all  round.  Othm&n  el  Lahh&m  feared  treachery, 
and  had  refused  to  come. 

The  fifteen  days'  truce  expired  at  sunset  the  very  day 
after  my  return,  and  the  '  war '  was  commenced  by  one 
side  seizing  some  water-carrying  donkeys  belonging  to 
the  other  side. 

Next  morning,  just  before  sunrise,  bullets  were  heard 
whistling  round  our  tents,  and  on  looking  out  it  was 
evident  we  were  in  the  midst  of  a  battle  of  the  above 
factions,  the  Abu-Goshites  fi:om  the  villages  on  the  north- 
west, and  the  Othm&n  Lahh&mites,  or  Arkoob  people,  on 
the  south-west.  Our  place  was  just  on  the  borders,  be- 
tween the  two. 

The  Arkoob  people  irom  Bait  Saf&fa,  a  village  in  sight 
on  the  crest  of  a  hill  below,  were  retiring  in  steady  order. 
Some  of  them  had  entered  within  my  boundary-wall, 
using  it  for  a  breastwork.  '  Sabbahh-kum  b'il  khair'  (good 
morning  to  you),  said  I ;  '  what  is  all  this  ?  '  'A  hundred 
good  mornings,  0  Bek!    we  are  waiting  for  the  Lifta 

VOL.  I.  x 


>ple.(of  the 
■owl  hurrah! 

I  invited  tl 
ewhere.  Th) 
lill  and  a  stot 

We  went  ou 
;  lifta  advac 

:)Ut  300  strong.       j.„   -oo  «  uu^    >r.^u.    ^    ^^^^     .^«n:;  j^au 

llik  (Abu  Qoah)  men  sweeping  up  in  a  wide  crescait 
oever  halting  a  moment,  but  driving  the  others  before 
im  with  their  dropping  fire.    There  were  at  least  500 
men  engaged  on  the  two  sides,  but  firing  at  long  dis- 
tances ;  the  main  part  of  that  dliy's  work,  however,  wia 
already  over. 

The  lifta  men  have  an  established  reputation  for 
musket  practice  to  sustain.  The  others  (nearest  to  us) 
picked  up  their  wounded  as  they  slowly  retreated,  and 
suddenly  a  detachment  of  the  Beni  Mdlik,  headed  by  a 
horseman  with  a  sword  (all  the  others  were  on  ft>ot), 
made  a  rush  forward  and  seized  the  position  in  t 
quarry  above,  amid  great  demonstrations.  This 
gained  seemed  to  turn  the  fortunes  of  the  day. 

At  my  side  (my  wife  was  there  also),  crouc 
the  rocks  on  which  we  stood  and  which  had  a 
been  the  post  held  by  our  (Beni  Arkoob)  side,  tl 
an  old  Lifta  acquwntance.  We  observed  his  h 
be  stained  with  blood,  but  this  turned  out  to 
his  own,  but  that  of  the  wounded  comrade  whoit 
borne  ofT  the  field.  We  asked  him,  '  What  was  t 
of  all  this? '  he  replied  somewhat  sadly,  '  Do  I  kn 
My  horses  had  been  meanwhile  saddled,  and 


THE  USE  OF  A  WHITE  FLAG.  307 

Arkoobites  being  seen  to  halt  and  face  about,  the  oppor- 
tunity seeming  to  be  a  good  one  for  mediation,  I  rode  up 
between  the  belligerents  with  my  Cancelliere  and  my 
Kaww&s  displaying  a  white  flag.  Behold !  in  an  astonish- 
ing short  time  both  parties  melted  away,  hasting  to  their 
respective  homes  and  daily  rural  work  (threshing  wheat, 
etc.),  dropping  shots  as  they  retreated.  Each  side  had 
two  men  wounded. 

The  sudden  transition  was  truly  Oriental,  but  by  nine 
o'clock  A.M.  it  was  in  truth  rather  too  hot  for  fighting 
under  a  July  sun. 

On  riding  leisurely  round  by  the  traditional  site  of 
Simon  the  Cyrenian's  house  to  the  village  of  Bait  Saf&fa 
(also  in  Beni  Arkoob  territory),  we  were  greeted  by 
horrid  screams  of  defiance  from  the  women  there,  who 
probably  did  not  understand  our  intention.  This.\dllage 
was  fiUed  with  the  recent  combatants  of  the  losing  side ; 
and  those  strange  heaps  of  stone,  so  often  noticed  by 
travellers,  on  the  plain  of  Kephaim — at  the  foot  of  the 
village  above  named — were  each  occupied  by  a  look-out 
man  perched  up  on  the  top. 

We  were  not  the  only  Europeans  near  the  scene  of 
action — ^for,  hke  ourselves,  the  English  Bishop  and  a 
missionary  clergyman  with  their  families  were  also  en- 
camped for  the  summer.  Their  tents  being  close  to  the 
village  of  Lifta,  head-quarters  of  one  of  the  armies,  I 
thought  it  advisable  to  ride  round  thither  and  enquire 
whether  any  alarm  had  been  felt. 

I  found  that  one  of  the  wounded  men  had  been  car- 
ried thither  for  medical  treatment  at  the  hands  of  the 

X  2 


children  of  all  ages,  and  servants — living  under  canvas 
among  the  trees,  on  the  Judean  hills,  too  far  from  the 
city  to  reckon  upon  any  assistance   reaching    them    in 
time  had  there  been  danger  by  day,  while  by  nij 
city  gates  being  all  locked,  there  could  be  no  po 
for  even  carrying   tidings  of  any  disturbance 
Turkish  governor  or  troops  till  too  late  to  be 
slightest  use  in  saving  life. 

Yet  here  we  all  lived  and  carried  on  our  d 
life,  and  read,  and  worked,  and  wrote,  while  c 
played  around,  and  the  horses  were  picketed  un 
trees.  We  walked  out  or  rode,  as  it  pleased  us 
indeed  that  the  peasantry  were  at  war  with  eacl 
and  that  the  Government  were  powerless  to  sto 
from  fighting.  The  facta  were  brought  home  to 
sonally  in  no  more  disagreeable  fashion  than  hi 


DISTRESSED  STATE  OF  THE  PASHA,  309 

described  above,  when  our  slumbers  were  cut  short  at 
daybreak  on  a  lovely  summer's  morning  by  the  shouts  of 
the  combatants  and  by  the  somewhat  too  close  discharge 
of  their  guns,  seeing  that  the  bullets  whistled  and  sang 
in  flying  past  our  tents.  Sometimes  the  woman  who 
brought  us  our  milk  could  not  come  because  her  village 
was  in  the  fight ;  sometimes  we  had  no  fresh  supply  of 
drinking  water  from  a  favourite  spring,  for  fear  the 
enemy  should  seize  the  peasant's  donkeys  which  bore 
the  water-skins. 

These  were  our  most  serious  inconveniences,  and  as 
has  been  related,  we  could  on  the  other  hand  hope  to  do 
some  good  in  doctoring  the  wounded  and  in  separating 
the  combatants  at  least  for  a  time,  by  some  short-lived 
truce  granted  '  in  honour  of  the  Consul '  who  begged  for 
it,  and  whom  none  were  willing  to  refuse. 

But  we  proceed  with  the  narrative.  On  visiting  the 
Pasha  and  the  Austrian  Consul  for  deliberation  as  to 
how  order  could  be  restored,  I  learned  that  when  the 
aged  Pashi  had  heard  of  the  morning's  proceedings  he 
was  on  his  way  to  prayers  in  the  Hharam  (Noble  Sanc- 
tuary, or  the  Temple  Enclosure),  but,  overpowered  by  the 
intelligence,  he  had  fainted  away.  Poor  old  man!  his 
position  was  a  pitiful  one. 

News  of  the  fight  had  been  brought  to  town  by  a 
Lifta  peasant  who  had  been  sent  to  fetch  two  barbers  to 
dress  the  wounds  of  the  combatants  {  Eflfendis  had 
then  been  sent  out  to  fetch  in  the  two  chiefs,  but  with 
the  usual  result. 

At  night  we  heard  more  of  the  war  screams  at  a 
distance  in  the  villages,  and  also  firing  of  guns,  and  we 


310  NIGHT  SCENES  AND  WAR  CRIES. 

sent  in  word  to  the  Fashk :  my  people  got  the  message 
into  the  city  by  speaking  to  the  sentinel  through  the 
chinks  of  the  city  gate,  which  was  as  usual  locked  for 
the  night.  The  voices  of  some  people  were  also  heard 
whispering  outside  my  enclosure  wall,  but  these  were 
possibly  peaceable  peasants  of  the  village  of  Dair  Yasera 
going  home  by  a  circuitous  route  over  our  high  ground, 
rather  than  trust  themselves  into  the  valleys. 

A  company  of  Bashi-bozuk  was  sent  out  from  the 
city  as  a  patrol,  whom  after  some  repose  from  their 
fatigue  of  a  mile's  ride  I  sent  on  to  the  Bishop's  camp, 
to  see  that  all  was  well.  It  was  somewhat  romantic  to 
have  the  officers  in  conversation  in  the  silent  night — with 
their  men  holding  their  horses — at  the  upper  gate,  with 
weapons  glittering  in  the  moonhght ;  but  their  useful- 
ness as  protectors  in  case  there  had  been  any  danger  to 
ourselves,  we  knew  to  be  more  than  doubtful. 

For  two  or  three  hours  after  daybreak  next  day  the 
distant  hills  resounded  with  shouts  and  dropping  shots ; 
but  this  was  only  evidence  that  the  combatants  were 
withdrawing  themselves  to  a  distance  further  southwards 
for  their  operations. 

These  war  cries  are  represented  in  Arabic  by  the 
word  '  Sout '  (hterally  '  voice,'  and  corresponding  to  our 
word  shout)  when  used  for  alarm  calls ;  but  when  a 
hostile  party  approaches  a  village  or  a  body  of  people 
challenging  them  to  fight,  it  is  no  longer  called  the 
*  sout^'  but  the  waw^  and  the  noun  is  turned  into  a  verb, 
thus : — 

A'Waw-tu^  for  we  have  arms  and  horsemen. 

A-waW'tUj  for  we  will  kill  your  men. 


EFFORIS  TO  MOVE  GOVERNMENT.  311 

A-waiihtu^  for  your  women  shall  be  widows. 

A'WaW'tu,  for  your  children  shall  be  orphans,  etc.,  etc. 

Next  morning  we  could  hear  the  people  mustering 
in  the  villages  (sounds  travel  miles  in  the  clear  mountain 
air),  but  not  a  shot  was  fired :  the  rogues  were  drawing 
off  to  a  distance,  west  and  south,  to  fight  it  out  there. 
A  large  body  of  the  Arkoobites  passed  us  in  the  direc- 
tion of  the  south. 

Notice  of  all  this  was  accordingly  given  to  the  Jeru- 
salem authorities.  There  was  no  great  amount  of  blood- 
shed :  the  peasantry  don't  much  hke  killing  each  other, 
because  of  the  heavy  blood-fines,  which  have  to  be  paid 
afterwards. 

During  all  these  proceedings,  as  afore  said,  we  felt  no 
alarm  for  ourselves :  the  ladies  and  children  lived  as  usual 
in  the  summer  encampments,  and  the  men  repaired  to 
their  avocations  in  the  city,  feeling  that  they  left  them 
in  security.  The  country  people  had  no  quarrel  with  us, 
but  were,  on  the  contrary,  making  gains  from  our  out-door 
life,  by  supplying  us  with  their  produce,  and  on  the  other 
hand  the  Turkish  officials  were  glad  to  be  able  to  report, 
in  proof  of  the  tranquillity  of  the  country,  that  we  were 
living  so  safely — making  iu  fact  truth  serve  the  purpose 
of  falsehood. 

The  French  Consul  urged  upon  the  Pasha  the 
necessity  of  bringing  the  Arkoob  leader,  Othm&n  el 
Lahh&m,  into  the  city,  and  we  all  agreed  that  another 
effort  should  be  made  for  that. object  by  sending  to  him 
an  mfluential  Effendi  (one  of  the  native  Arab  noblesse) ^ 
Abdallah  Wafa,  with  an  invitation  fix)m  his  Excellency 
the  Pashk,  and  that  if  this  should  fail,  the  Pashk  should 


THE 

him  I 

'  Ara&n  wf 

The  F 

connected 

of  Christia 

In  the 
iaa  Frand 
village  art 
the  Convt 

territories  of  the  beUigerent  chiefe  Othmftn ,  el  Lahh&m 
and  Abu  Gosh.  The  French  Consul,  probably  conader- 
ing  Othmau  Hkely  to  be  the  more  effective  Prote<^tor  of 
hia  Christian  cUents,  took  a  decided  part  in  his  fav 

Abu  Gosh,  chief  of  the  opposing  faction,  and  i 
usual,  had  made  up  his  mind  that  the  Enghsh  Cousu] 
surely  espouse  the  opposite  side  of  any  cause  taken 
the  French — more  especially  as  the  French  were 
and  the  English  were  Protestants.  But  he  had  re< 
without  hia  host.  It  was  not  the  custom  of  the  3 
Consul  to  favour  any  faction  whatever,  and  raoreoi 
and  M.  Botta  were  living  on  excellent  terms  of  p* 
friendship. 

To  send  Othmfin  a  safe-conduct  seemed  the  onl; 
possible  to  be  done  in  the  helpless  state  of  the  1 
Government,  and  it  was  of  immense  importance  to  j 
this  little  war  from  spreading  and  assuming  more 
proportions,  aa  it  seemed  likely  to  do,  and  that  sp 

In  order  to  balance  the  south-western  Bedaw; 
of  Othman  el  Lahh&m,  Abu  Gosh  had  already  cal 

■  So  DMned  iron  the  opening  words  of  the  fonnule,'  In  Uie 
God  and  mperinten^etKc  of  the  Prophet.' 


THE  PASHA  GIVES  A  SAFE-CONDUCT.  313 

as  his  allies,  the  wild  Adw&n  Arabs  from  beyond  Jordan, 
and  others. 

An  influential  relative  of  Abu  Gosh  came  to  visit  me 
and  to  represent  the  urgent  need  that  some  one  should 
mediate  between  the  belligerent  factions,  seeing  how 
utterly  powerless  the  Government  was,  and  how  impos- 
sible it  would  become  to  quell  the  disturbances  should 
this  become  a  general  war  among  the  Fellahah  clans. 

His  Excellency  did  that  evening  send  the  '  Safe -Con- 
duct '  (AmS,n  wa  Eai)  to  Othm&n,  who  took  time  to  con- 
sider about  it !  Why  should  he  obey  the  commands  or 
even  entreaties  of  his  Tiu'kish  lords !  Was  he  not  a  loyal 
subject  of  his  Majesty  the  Padishah,  and  only  fighting 
against  his  natural  enemy,  Abu  Gosh  ? 

Abu  Gosh,  for  his  part,  made  equally  loyal  protesta- 
tions of  loyalty,  and  laid  all  the  fault  of  the  disturbances 
upon  '  that  rebellious  Shait4n — Othmfi,n  el  LahhS^m.' 

On  hearing  that  the  *  Safe-Conduct '  had  been  sent  to 
Othm&n  el  Lahh&m,  'AbderrahhmS^n  Abu  Gosh,  of  the 
opposite  side,  came  into  Jerusalem  and  visited  me  in  my 
office,  making  professions  of  ancient  friendship,  and  saying 
that  if  Othm&n,  his  rival,  appeared  before  the  Mejlis  (City 
Council),  in  obedience  to  the  Pashk's  invitation,  he  would 
have  to  do  so  too. 

For  the  Chief  of  a  clan  to  appear  before  the  Governor 
and  Effendis  in  Council,  for  decision  of  a  cause  of  such 
magnitude  as  this  was,  involves  a  very  large  distribution 
of  bakhsheesh  among  the  native  Effendis,  as  well  as 
to  the  Pashk  and  his  Turkish  officials ;  and  it  was  well 
known  that  Abu  Gosh  had  already,  by  means  of  his 
purses  of  money,  secured  many  supporters.    Naturally  he 


314  ABU  GOSH  VISITS  THE  CONSUL. 

was  unwilling  to  repeat  the  process  after  so  short  an  in- 
terval. 

My  visitor  (accompanied,  of  com-se,  by  a  following  of 
his  people,  called  by  the  natives,  as  in  the  EGghlands  of 
Scotland,  his  '  tail  *)  declared  he  was  anxious  for  peace 
and  begged  that,  if  I  should  see  any  of  his  people  of  the 
Beni  M&hk  out  again  in  arms,  I  should  ride  up  to  them, 
and  order  them  home,  saying, '  Eetiu"n,  my  children,  to 
your  place,'  and  they  would  at  once  obey  me ;  indeed, 
added  he,  so  desirous  was  he  for  peace,  that  when  the 
Bedaween — the  Adwan  from  beyond  Jordan —  and  the 
Ehteimat  from  Jericho,  lately  came  to  oflfer  assistance 
— he  had  refused  them  !     He  hoped  finally  *  that  I  was 
not  going    to   change  an    old  firiend    for  Othm&n  el 
Lahh&m,  etc.' 

I  could  best  lectiure  him  on  the  enormity  of  fighting 
now,  when  instead  of  killing  each  other,  and  ruining  the 
country,  all  faithful  subjects  of  the  Sultan  ought  to  be 
helping  their  master  in  his  diflGiculties  with  the  Bussians, 
if  in  no  other  way,  at  least  by  keeping  the  peace  within 
his  dominions. 

It  may  not  be  amiss  to  remark  here  upon  the  curious 
fact  that  these  Native  Chiefs  were  always  pretty  correctly 
informed  of  the  general  course  of  European  affairs.  We 
had  often  occasion  to  observe  this,  and  had,  moreover, 
many  indications  that  the  Clan  Feuds  were  fomented  by 
intriguers  from  without,  who  desired  that  the  Turkish 
provinces  should  be  in  a  state  of  anarchy,  if  not  of  down- 
right insurrection.  To  restore  quiet  by  the  mere  exercise 
of  fi'iendly  offices  was  no  easy  task,  and  yet  it  was  impe- 
ratively  necessary  that  this  should  be  done. 


BEDAWY  ALLIES.  815 

Next  day  early  more  war  cries  were  heard  upon  the 
hills  and  a  crowd  of  men  and  women  were  seen  rushing 
from  lifta,  on  our  right,  N.W.  towards  Ain  Karem  (on 
the  West). 

Fortunately  the  Chief  of  the  Ta'amirah  Arabs,  Shaikh 
Hhamd&n  (a  tribe  occupying  the  district  North-West  of 
the  Dead  Sea,  up  to  near  Bethlehem),  attended  by  two  or 
three  of  his  swarthy  followers,  had  come  to  visit  me  at  my 
tents  soon  after  sunrise.  He,  too,  had  come  to  represent 
the  urgent  necessity  for  interference  before  the  whole 
South  and  West  country  should  be  ablaze,  and  advised 
arrangements  to  be  tried  for  an  interview  with  Othmdn 
el  Lahh&m. 

He  and  his  tribe  being,  in  fact,  of  the  Wild  Be- 
dawy  class,  were  accurately  informed  as  to  the  move- 
ments of  the  great  tribes  of  the  Wild  Bedaween,  such  as 
the  Tiy&hah,  who  can  muster  several  thousand  fighting 
men.  He  dwelt  upon  the  certainty  that,  unless  a  truce 
were  brought  about,  these  Bedawy  allies — ^who  had  been 
already  called  in  on  both  sides  by  the  peasantry— woidd 
overrun  and  destroy  the  country. 

None. but  those  who  have  seen  it  can  appreciate  the 
devastation  wrought  in  a  few  hours  by  these  wild  hordes. 
Like  locusts  they  spread  over  the  land,  and  their  camels, 
only  too  glad  to  revel  upon  the  luxury  of  green  food, 
strip  every  leaf  off  the  vines,  and  devour,  while  they 
trample  down,  all  corn  or  vegetable  crops,  leaving  bare 
brown  desolation  where  years  of  toil  had  made  smiling 
fields  and  vineyards.  Nor  is  this  all,  for  the  cattle  and 
flocks  are  swept  off  to  the  desert  by  the  marauders — ^who 
leave  behind,  for  the  unfortunate  peasant,  nothing  that 
they  can  carry  away. 


31G  SHAIH 

Bedaween  are,  howe 
tainoiis  country,  which  i 
travelling  ground  for  th< 
Neither  do  they  hke  to  t 

among  the  fences  of  cultivated  land ;  of  their  own  accord 
they  would  not  have  entered  the  Jerussxlem  district  even 
at  this  time  when  there  was  known  to  be  little  or  no 
Government  force  to  repel  them,  excepting  in  small 
parties  for  theft.  But  once  called  in  as  allies  by  the 
village  clans,  they  could  not  have  been  got  rid  of  but 
with  immense  difficulty,  and  after  the  land  had  been  laid 
waste  by  them. 

f       It  must  be  remembered  that  alliances  between  i. 

'  tied  peasant  populations  and  the  wild  Desert  Arai 
very  ancient,  dating  back  long  before  the  Turkisl 
quest  of  Palestine. 

Shaikh  HhamdJln,  our  visitor,  was  chief  o 
Ta'amirah  tribe,  who  roam  over  the  district  South-* 
Bethlehem,  as  far  as  the  Dead  Sea.  This  tract  is 
sidered  Ta'amirah  territory,  both  by  the  Gover 
authorities  and  by  the  other  inhabitants.  The  tri 
several  hundred  strong  and  have  relations  with  tl 
tied  agricultural  population  on  the  one  hand,  and  wi 
wild  desert  tribes  of  pure  Bedawy  Arabs  on  the 
They  live  in  tents,  roaming  from  place  to  place 
Bedawy  fashion.  And  they  have  alliances  vrith  thi 
awy  tribes ;  but  they  are  unlike  them  in  one  very  i 
tant  point,  for  they  cultivate  the  land,  sowing  and  re 
and  are  in  this  respect  like  the  peasantry. 

The  pure  Bedaween,  however,  despise  the  Ta'j 
for  thia  :  '  Who  but  an  ass  would  labour  in  the  fi 


ARAB  ESCORTS  FOR   TRAVELLERS.  317 

— and  the  Ffellahheen  (regular  peasantry)  are  contemptu- 
ously called  by  the  wild  Bedaween,  *  asses  of  the  world/ 
just  because  they  are  cultivators  of  the  soil. 

English  travellers  to  the  Jordan  and  Dead  Sea  com- 
monly passed  through  the  Ta'amirah  district  either  in 
going  or  returning,  and  the  chief  of  their  tribe  usually  took 
his  turn  with  the  chiefs  of  four  other  small  tribes  through 
whose  districts  the  travellers  had  to  pass,  in  furnishing  an 
escort  of  men  for  the  safe  conduct  of  the  party. 

From  their  point  of  view,  travellers,  by  the  mere  fact 
of  entering  their  district  as  visitors,  became  the  guests  of 
the  tribe  to  whom  it  belonged,  and  were  entitled  to  hos- 
pitality and  protection  at  the  hands  of  all  their  people, 
provided  only  that  they  claimed  this  protection,  and  were 
willing  to  give  in  retiurn  a  small  present  to  the  chief  of 
the  tribe. 

The  British  Consul  had,  with  the  sanction  of  the 
Turkish  governor,  arranged  with  the  five  chiefs  to  fix  a 
tariff  of  something  less  than  a  pound  English  money  as 
the  present  to  be  given  by  each  traveller  visiting  the 
Jordan  and  Dead  Sea.  To  avoid  disputes,  the  five  chiefs 
undertook  the  duty  of  escort  in  regular  rotation. 

According  to  Arab  usage  they  then  became  respon- 
sible for  the  lives  and  property  of  their  guests,  whom 
they  were  bound  to  protect  against  all  comers.  All  other 
tribes  were,  of  course,  aware  that  any  party  escorted  by 
even  a  single  man  of  these  tribes  was  for  the  time  being 
their  guest,  and  under  the  protection,  not  only  of  the  tribe 
itself,  but  of  all  those  in  alliance  with  it. 

By  this  simple  arrangement  hundreds  of  British  tra- 
vellers were  enabled  to  visit  in  comfort  and  safety  these 


318  BATTLES  IMPENDING. 

otherwise  dangerous  regions,  even  at  times  w^hen  no 
Turkish  soldier  or  Government  official  dared  to  venture 
thither. 

Shaikh  Hhamd&n  was  a  fine-looking  man,  above 
middle  age.  He  was  greatly  respected  by  his  people, 
whom  he  ruled  with  a  firm  hand.  He  valued  the  good 
opinion  of  British  authorities,  with  whom  he  always  kq)t 
perfect  faith,  and  he  was  feared  and  respected  by  the 
.  smaller  wild  tribes  as  well  as  by  the  peasantry  of  the 
south  country  of  Palestine. 

The  warnings  given  by  one  so  well  informed  were 
not  to  be  neglected  or  passed  lightly  by, 

I  at  once  sent  my  head  kawwfls  riding  after  the 
people  who  were  going  forth  to  battle,  with  orders  to 
turn  them  back,  as  their  chief,  Abu  Gosh  (for  they  were 
of  his  faction),  had  only  the  day  before  requested  me  to 
do  in  case  of  need. 

We  stood  upon  the  high  ground  watching  events. 
One  of  us  happening  to  say  that  probably  there  would 
be  no  harm  that  day,  because  we  had  seen  that  the  wom^i 
were  out  with  the  men — *  Are  the  women  out  ?  *  said 
Shaikh  HhamdS-n ;  '  then  depend  upon  it  that  means 
fighting.' 

On  this,  and  seeing  that  the  combatants  were  on 
their  way  to  the  scene  of  action,  I  asked  him  to  go  and 
do  what  he  could.  In  a  minute  he  had  mounted  his 
roan  mare,  one  of  his  men  holding  a  stirrup  on  each  side 
for  their  chief,  and  away  he  went  with  his  followers 
directing  ]iis  course  to  the  village  of  El  Khuddr  {Su 
George's,  near  Solomon's  Pools),  to  warn  Othm&n  el  Lah- 
hftra  to  keep  his  people  quiet,  and  to  dissuade  him  firom 


AN  AMUSING  CONTRAST.  319 

putting  himself  in  the  wrong  by  striking  another  blow  at 
the  present  moment. 

The  great  thing  was  to  induce  Othmftn  to  obey  the 
Pashk's  summons,  and  come  to  Jerusalem  for  a  parley. 

My  kaww&s  returned  with  the  tidings  that  the  Abu 
Gosh  people  from  Lifta,  whom  we  had  seen  on  the  march, 
were  said  to  be  only  escorting  their  friends  (the  Saeedah) 
in  their  removal  to  another  village,  Jurah.  That  seemed 
a  very  doubtful  explanation. 

In  striking  contrast  to  the  manly  bearing  and  hand- 
some equipment  of  Shaikh  Hhamd&n  and  his  people  was 
the  next  visitor  who  appeared  at  my  camp,  within  a  short 
time  after  Hhamd&n  had  ridden  off  on  his  pacific  mission. 
Hharad&n  was  admirably  mounts  on  a  powerful  mare. 
He  wore  a  robe  of  scarlet  cloth ;  on  his  head  was  a  good 
silken  kefiyeh  (shawl  of  yellow-brown  and  red  stripes). 
He  was  well  armed,  as  were  also  his  swarthy  and  clean- 
limbed attendants,  who  also  wore  the  aba  and  kefiyeh, 
with  sandals  on  their  feet,  kept  on  by  a  thong  over  the 
great  toe. 

My  next  visitor  was  the  Turkish  mihtary  com- 
mander of  Jerusalem,  come  to  pay  a  visit  of  ceremony, 
and  perhaps  to  try  and  see  something  of  the  fighting 
from  the  safe  shelter  of  my  encampment.  His  Excel- 
lency rode  a  small  donkey,  and  was  attended  by  one 
or  two  miserable  soldiers  in  dirty  uniforms  and  on 
foot.  This  dignitary  had  lately  found  himself  so  httle 
known  and  reverenced  in  the  city  that  he  employed  a 
little  European  tailor  of  the  place  to  make  him  a  uniform 
with  gold  epaulettes,  in  order,  as  he  explained,  '  that 
people  in  the  street  might  be  enabled  to  know  him,  and 


320 

to  rise  up  ai 
streets ! ' 

I  went  o 
the  Valley  ■ 
miles  from  . 
metits  were 
had  been  in 
around  them 

Othnian  el  Lahhftra  also  came  there  and  represented 
to  me  the  impossibility  of  his  again  trusting  to  any 
Turkish  promises  or  safe-conduct,  after  his  own  expe- 
rience in  former  instances.  Among  the  Arabs  a  '  betrayer 
of  trust,'  or  one  who  iU-treats  a  guest,  is  infamous  ;  but 
the  Turkish  Pashks  were  notorious  for  their  treachery,  in 
seizing  their  victims  even  at  the  very  supper-table  where 
they  had  been  by  invitation  partaking  of  hospitalities 
designed  to  lure  them  on  to  their  fate.  The  Arabs  have 
had  too  many  cases  of  treachery  on  the  part  of  Turkish 
rulers  to  trust  themselves  in  troublous  times  to  their  roost 
solemn  oaths. 

I,  however,  at  last  succeeded  in  inducing  the  Shaikh  to 
consent  to  suspend  hostihties  and  to  obey  the  summons 
of  his  Government,  on  condition  that  I  should  r 
to  it  that  the  *  Am^n  wa  Kai '  (safe-conduct  of  tl 
was  faithfully  carried  out 

Early  next  day  I  repaired  to  Jerusalem 
formed  the  Pasha  of  the  fact  that  Shaikh  0 
Lahham  had  given  me  his  word  to  obey  tlie  sut 
His  Excellency  if  a  safe-conduct  were  granted, 
of  my  own  assurance  that  it  should  be  honou 
spected  if  it  was  granted. 


DISTRUST  OF  THE  SAFE-CONDUOT.  321 

The  Pashk  was  quite  ready  to  issue  this  document, 
but  now  the  Effendis  of  the  Council — ^all  well  bribed  by 
the  rival  chief  Abu  Gosh  during  his  recent  visit  to  town 
— ^were  assembled  in  an  adjoining  room.  They  stamped 
and  swore  that  no  safe-conduct  should  be  granted  to 
Shaikh  Othm&n  el  Lahham.  They  cared  not  how  much 
more  bloodshed  there  might  be  in  the  country,  nor  how 
much  embarrassment  might  arise  to  the  Turkish  Govern- 
ment, provided  only  opportunity  were  left  to  them  to 
enrich  themselves  by  levying  '  presents '  from  both  the 
contending  factions. 

The  poor  old  Pashk  was  so  feeble  that  on  a  recent 
occasion,  when  two  men  (both  Moslems)  had  a  scuflBie  in 
the  mosque,  he  was  overcome  by  fear  and  illness.  The 
attendants  had  to  carry  His  Excellency  out  of  the 
mosque,  and  it  was  supposed  he  would  have  died.  Now, 
however,  he  roused  himself,  and,  in  spite  of  aU  oppo- 
sition,  ordered  the  safe-conduct  to  be  drawn  out  and 
sent  off,  whUe  he  also  thanked  me  for  the  help  given, 
and  offered  to  keep  me  informed  as  to  the  progress  of 
events. 

Shaikh  Othm&n  was  not  much  to  blame  for  his  dis- 
trust of  Turkish  safe-conducts,  for  he  had  once  been 
lured  into  the  city  by  a  former  Pashk  by  a  similar  docu- 
ment, then  caught,  ironed,  and  carried  into  exile,  but  he 
had  managed  to  escape  when  they  had  got  him  as  far  as 
Cyprus. 

The  safe-conduct  was  written,  sealed,  and  sent  off 
before  sunset. 

The  next  day  was  Sunday.  At  daybreak  Shaikh 
Othman  and  his  train  of  followers  made  their  appear* 

VOL.  L  Y 


322  othmAn  comes  to  JER^SALEIL 

ance  at  my  camp.  My  Cancelliere  accompanied  him 
into  town,  riding  by  his  side  past  the  sentinels  on  duty 
at  the  gate ;  and  it  was  beUeved  that,  but  for  this  pre- 
caution, and  had  he  been  alone.  Shaikh  Othm&n  would 
have  been  seized  and  put  in  irons  then  and  there  in 
spite  of  the  safe-conduct,  through  the  intrigues  of  hos^e 
Effendis. 

The  conclusion  of  the  affair  was  characteristic.  On 
the  fourth  day  afterwards  the  two  rival  shaikhs  came  to 
visit  me,  and  to  announce  that  the  Fashk  had  made  a 
truce  of  three  months  between  them.  Damages  in  the 
villages  were  to  be  repaired,  and  the  inhabitants  of  thoae 
villages  which  were  divided  between  the  fex^tions  were  to 
be  allowed  to  remove  if  they  chose  and  live  where  they 
would.  The  Pashk  himself  told  me  that  this  arrangement 
was  made  chiefly  with  a  view  of  getting  a  quiet  season 
for  the  annual  collection  of  the  taxes,  the  one  object,  as 
it  seemed,  of  His  Excellency's  responsibility  and  duty  to- 
wards his  superiors  at  Constantinople. 

This  was  a  very  usual  conclusion  to  warfare  of  the 
kind  when  settled  by  the  Turkish  rulers,  whenever  the 
taxes  were  in  danger,  and  showed  the  exceeding  feeblene^ 
of  the  Government. 

It  was  said  that  Othm^  el  Lahh&m  had  been  re- 
garded as  the  chief  offender,  because  his  rival,  Abu  Gosh, 
had  made  a  merit  of  coming  first  into  town  and  sub- 
mitting himself  to  the  council  of  Effendis.  But  these 
were  his  partisans,  and  it  was  well  known  that  he  had 
come  with  his  pockets  well  filled  with  bribes  for  them, 
besides  which  he  had  some  time  before  chased  away  the 
Government  irregular  horse  from  cue  of  the  villages  (Ain 


CLAMOUR  OP  THE  WOMEN.  323 

Karem) ;  and  yet  he  pretended  that  his  rival  had  been 
the  first  aggressor. 

However,  the  chief  point  was  attained :  fighting  was 
stopped,  and  this  through  our  success  in  getting  Othmdn 
el  Lahh&m  to  trust  himself  to  the  safe-conduct.  The 
Government  had  failed  in  doing  this,  though  they  had 
sent  out  first  a  body  of  the  irregular  horse,  then  a  de- 
putation of  the  EfFendis  of  the  council,  and  finally  one 
of  the  chief  Mohammedans  of  the  city. 

The  Pashk,  of  course,  as  soon  as  he  had  got  Othmfi,n 
el  LahhS,m  safe  within  the  walls  of  Jerusalem,  entirely 
forgot  his  promise  to  let  me  know  about  the  progress  of 
affairs. 

This  was  of  no  great  moment  in  itself,  but  it  was 
characteristic  of  Turkish  doings  in  those  days.  So  was 
the  manner  in  which  the  three  months'  truce  was  finally 
brought  about. 

While  the  factions  in  the  City  Council  were  puUing 
the  old  Pashk  this  way  and  that,  according  as  it 
suited  their  own  private  interests  in  the  matter,  a  posse 
of  poor  peasant  women,  whose  village  had  suffered  much 
in  the  fi'ay,  came  into  the  open  court  of  the  Great  Sanc- 
tuary, just  under  the  Pashk's  windows.  Here  they  cried 
for  justice,  or  at  least  for  peace  to  be  enforced.  Findiug 
all  their  cries  were  unheeded,  they  raised  a  shout  for 
blessings  on  the  English  Consul,  who  had  at  least  stopped 
the  fighting  and  bloodshed  for  the  moment. 

On  hearing  this,  the  Pashk  hastily  simimoned  the 
council,  rated  them  soundly  for  their  delays,  and  for  the 
trouble  they  were  bringing  upon  him  when  all  this  dis- 

t2 


324  IGNORANCE  OF  THE  PASHX. 

order  should  be  reported  in  Constantinople.^  He  then 
called  the  rival  Shaijdis  before  him,  ordered  them  to  )das 
each  other's  heads  on  the  spot,  and  to  promise  to  keep 
the  peace  for  three  months. 

The  Turkish  authorities  ought  to  have  been  thankfbl 
for  the  aid  afforded  them,  through  the  knowledge  pos- 
sessed by  the  British  Consulate  of  these  rural  affidrs, 
thanks  to  the  honesty  and  correct  information  given  by 
my  correspondents ;  but  it  commonly  happened  that  the 
ignorance  of  the  Turkish  Pashks,  and  the  falsity  of  the 
reports  which  reached  them,  were  more  agreeable  to  the 
old-fashioned  orientahsm  of  their  administration,  and  they 
blundered  on  in  the  dark. 

An  amusing  instance  of  the  ignorance  of  our  Pasha 
as  to  the  course  of  events  in  Constantinople  had  occurred 
some  months  before.  So  early  as  the  month  of  March 
(1853),  when  the  air  was  full  of  the  rumours  of  the 
coming  war,  our  Pashk  sent  for  my  interpreter.  On  his 
arrival  at  the  seraglio  the  door  was  shut,  and  earnest 
inquiries  were  made  confidentially  as  to  whether  it  was 
true  that  Constantinople  had  been  already  taken  by  the 
Kussians  !  His  Excellency  was  httle  better  informed  as  to 
the  course  of  affairs  in  his  own  Pashahc. 

This  being  the  case,  I* was  happy  in  being  able  to  do 
something  for  the  preservation  of  the  district  from 
anarchy.  The  bringing  of  Othm^n  Lahh4m  into  the  city 
had  been  attempted  by  the  Pashk  (whose  Bashi-Bozuk 
had  been  chased  away  jfrom  Ain  Karem  by  Abu  Gosh,  as 
he  himself  confessed  to  him),  by  a  deputation  of  Effendis 

^  It  was  a  matter  of  common  notoriQty  that  the  leading  Effendis  were  in 
the  pay  of  foreigners  whose  schemes  they  supported* 


INTERVENTION  NECESSARY  325 

of  Jerusalem,  by  Abdallah  Effendi  alone,  and  by  the 
Shaikh  of  Bait  Jibreen,  but  could  be  effected  by  none 
of  them. 

Yet  I  was  not  precipitate  in  attempting  the  task :  it 
was  not  till  some  days  after  bullets  had  been  flying 
amongst  my  tents,  and  I  had  witnessed  the  progress  of 
the  battle,  and  seen  at  twenty  yards'  distance  from  my  gate 
a  man  with  both  his  hands  stained  with  the  blood  of  the 
wounded  man  whom  he  had  carried  off  the  field. 

It  was  not  till  a  peasant  servant  of  my  own  had 
refused,  from  fear  of  his  life,  to  carry  a  basket  for  me 
over  hostile  ground ;  not  till  the  Ta'amri  Shaikh  and 
several  townspeople  of  importance  had  assured  us  the 
crisis  was  most  serious,  and  begged  me  to  do  something, 
that  I  undertook  the  office  of  inducing  Othm&n  to  obey 
the  summons  of  the  Pashk  and  trust  to  his  safe-conduct. 
Then  I  left  him  in  the  hands  of  his  lawful  Government. 

Thus  peace  was  restored  and  for  three  months  to 
come  we  might  hope  to  live  in  quietness.  Until  next 
November,  at  any  rate,  the  Abu  Goshites  and  OthmS.n 
Lahhamites  must  refrain  from  killing  each  other,  and  by 
that  time  rain  would  have  fallen,  and  it  was  to  be  hoped 
they  would  be  too  busy  ploughing  their  land  to  have  time 
for  fighting. 

About  a  month  after  this  a  large  comet  showed  itself 
above  the  horizon,  though  not  at  a  great  elevation ;  it 
was  to  be  expected  that  this  appearance  would,  as  in 
other  countries,  augment  the  fear  of  impending  disasters, 
being  an  object  that  usually 

* with  dread  of  change 


Perplexes  nationa,' 


326  THE  OOMET, 

However  in  ten  days  it  retired,  leaving  the  Turifsh 
dominion  to  itself,  in  spite  of  all  sinister  forebodings; 
during  its  continuance  with  us  the  visitor  had  been  large 
and  bright. 


327 


CHAPTER  Xn. 

JERUSALEM   WITHOUT  A  GARRISON. 

Incursions  of  Bedaween — Our  garrison  of  troops  ordered  off  to  the  War — 
French  pilgrims — Oomet  and  omens  at  departure  of  troops — ^Moham- 
medan yiew  of  politics  and  affairs — ^Fears  of  the  Ohristians — Sir  Hugh 
Rose — Why  the  European  (Frank)  Sovereigns  help  the  Sultan. 

Our  quiet  was  not  of  long  duration.  The  village 
people  were  stopped  from  fighting,  but  the  wild  Arabs 
near  Jordan — ^Nimm'r  and  'Abd'ul  Azeez — ^both  of  the 
AdwSn  tribe,  were  at  war,  and  had  enlisted  allies  among 
the  Arabs  south  and  west  of  Jerusalem. 

Knowing  that  the  Turkish  Government  was  weak  just 
then,  the  Tiy&hah  Bedaween  chose  to  march  through  the 
Jerusalem  district  on  their  way  to  the  scene  of  action 
during  the  night  of  September  1st.  Some  350  of  these 
wild  fellows  passed  through  Bethlehem  ;  and  others  slept 
in  the  villages  nearer  still,  eighty  in  Bait  Jdla,  seventy  in 
Bait  Sahhur,  others  in  Abu  Gosh,  while  another  strong 
body  went  down  to  the  Ta'amri  tribe  (of  Shaikh  Hham- 
d&n)  near  Bethlehem,  on  the  south-east,  to  enlist  them  in 
the  cause.  ^  These  wild  Bedawy — or  true  desert  Arabs — 
were  not  particularly  desirable  visitors ;  they  belonged  to  a 
very  large  and  powerful  tribe,  perhaps  10,000  in  number. 

^  1,600  men  on  800  camels  passed  East  of  the  Dead  Sea,  with  700  horse- 
men, headed  by  Shaikh  Ahoo  Dahook  of  the  Jahhaleen.  Aboo  Dahook  being 
thrown  from  his  mare,  left  the  army  and  retwned,  fording  the  Jordan  and 
going  home  on  foot  alone, 


328  mcuiisiONs  of  bedaween. 

But  there  was  nothing  to  be  done,  save  hope  that,  as 
there  was  no  quarrel  between  us  and  Bedaween,  n^oda- 
tion  might  prove  a  sufficient  defence  in  case  these  rovo^ 
should  take  a  fancy  to  any  English  chattels  either  on  oor 
encampment,  or  at  the  ferm  at  Urtas. 

This  farm  lay  in  the  valley  behind  (south  of)  Beth- 
lehem, about  seven  miles  from  Jerusalem. 

Some  hundreds  of  the  Bedaween  passed  through  tk 
valley,  riding  their  dromedaries;  many  of  them  rode 
double  as  ready  for  fight — one  facing  forward,  the  other 
backward — and  they  were  armed  with  matchlocks  of 
primitive  form,  or  with  spears.  Happily  they  did  no 
mischief,  but  passed  on  quietly.  However  we  were  kept 
on  the  alert. 

The  next  incident  was  that  a  body  of  the  Ta'amra— 
not  belonging  to  the  division  of  my  friend  Shaikh 
Hhamddn — ^invaded  the  valley  of  Urtas  in  search  of 
water  for  their  flocks  and  herds.  The  springs  between 
Bethlehem  and  the  Dead  Sea,  to  which  these  wanderers 
usually  resort,  had  failed  early  in  the  summer,  and  duiiflg 
my  absence  in  the  north  in  July  a  large  body  of  them 
had  come  to  Urtas  with  thousands  of  thirsty  camels, 
sheep,  and  goats. 

This  was  the  more  natural,  since  in  former  years  the 
tribe  had  been  in  possession  of  the  whole  valley,  and  had 
only  retired  in  consequence  of  agreements  made  by  the 
British  subject,  John  Meshullam,  who  had  settled  there 
iu  partnership  with  the  ordinary  peasant  owners  of  the 
land. 

The  Ta'amra  had  consented  some  years  before  to  with- 
draw from  the  lands  imder  cultivation  in  considerat^^^ 


COMPACT  WTTH  WILD  AEABS.  329 

of  a  sum  qf  money  being  paid  to  them,  and  hitherto  the 
agreement  had  been  kept  by  them.  But  now,  in  this 
season  of  drought,  they  remembered  the  perennial  stream 
of  Urtas  and  migrated  thither  with  their  cattle. 

Terrified  at  the  idea  of  these  swarms  of  camels  and 
goats  overrunning  his  green  and  luxuriant  crops,  Me- 
shullam  appealed  to  the  Consulate  for  protection. 

My  Cancelli^re  in  charge  (during  my  absence  in  the 
north)  applied  to  the  Pashk,  who  sent  out  a  couple  of 
Bashi-Bozuk  to  defend  the  farmer  and  his  family  and  his 
crops.  But  when  the  thirsty  troops  came  on  and  their 
wild  Arab  owners  clamoured  and  brandished  sticks,  the 
soldiers  hid  behind  rocks  at  first,  and  then  fled  away  to 
Jerusalem. 

On  this  MeshuUam  treated  with  the  chiefs  of  the 
wild  Arabs  themselves,  and  invited  them  to  a  Parliament 
with  the  British  Cancelli^re.  About  forty  of  the  leaders 
attended  the  conference  thus  arranged,  and  an  agreement 
was  drawn  up,  according  to  which  a  wall  breast-high  was 
to  be  built  at  a  certain  point  in  the  valley. 

MeshuUam  engaged  to  turn  the  stream  of  water 
thither,  that  the  Arabs  might  regularly  water  their  cattle. 
They,  on  the  other  hand,  promised  to  abstain  fi:om  pass- 
ing beyond  this  point,  and  to  keep  their  cattle  irom  tres- 
passing upon  the  cultivated  part  at  the  other  side  of  the 
boundary  wall. 

This  agreement  they  kept,  to  their  credit  be  it  spoken, 
not  allowing  camel,  or  goat,  or  hungry  child  to  trespass 
in  the  gardens,  now  fiiU  of  vegetables  and  finiit,  which 
were  of  course  the  greatest  possible  temptation  to  these 
desert  people  and  their  cattle. 


SSO  WAK  DECLABED. 

Clearly  the  Turkish  Government  could  neither  have 
kept  these  Arabs  back,  nor  could  they  have  punished 
them  in  case  of  trespass.  But  the  people  had  the  idea 
that  an  agreement  made  with  an  Englishman  must  be 
kept,  and  in  this  idea,  and  their  own  sense  of  honour,  was 
our  strength.  The  coimtry  was  overrun  by  wild  Arabs 
of  one  kind  or  another,  yet  Europeans  remained  unmo- 
lested, excepting  that  one  night  the  French  post  courier, 
coming  up  from  Jaffa,  was  stopped  and  wounded  near 
Bamlah.    His  box  was  opened,  but  no  letters  were  taken. 

It  soon  appeared  that  though  the  Ta'amra  Arabs  were 
willing  to  keep  their  bargain  with  us,  they  were  not  dis- 
posed to  spare  the  fruits  and  vegetables  belonging  to  the 
peasantry  of  the  village,  and  one  day  a  swarm  of  them 
fell  upon  the  fruit-trees,  which  they  soon  stripped.  I, 
however,  succeeded  in  arranging  another  conference  be- 
tween both  parties  at  Bethlehem,  at  which  these  wild 
fellows  actually  agreed  to  abstain  from  even  the  fruits 
belonging  to  the  villagers,  and  they  did  so  abstain  during 
the  rest  of  that  season.  The  affray  had  been  serious 
enough  whUe  it  lasted,  and  heads  had  been  broken, 
though  no  one  had  been  killed  on  either  side.  This  was 
fortunate,  as  the  loss  of  one  life  might  have  involved  the 
most  serious  consequences. 

In  the  midst  of  these  little  occurrences  came  the  news, 
on  September  7,  that  in  Constantinople  the  divan  of  the 
Porte  had  resolved  on  war  against  Kussia,  by  a  vote  of 
fifty-six  members  out  of  sixty-one.  Also,  that  our  gar- 
rison of  regular  troops  was  ordered  to  leave  Jerusalem 
and  proceed  to  Constantinople  for  active  service. 

We  were  therefore  to  be  left  to  our  own  resources ; 


WOULD-BE  POLrnOIANS.  331 

all  Palestine  was  to  be  evacuated  of  military  forces ;  and 
that,  too,  after  the  recent  proofs  of  anarchy  among  the 
rural  clans,  and  with  Bedawy  Axabs  overrunning  the 
country. 

One  thing,  however,  was  certain:  we  must  put  a 
bold  face  on  the  matter,  rely  upon  Providence  and  our 
own  energies,  and  try  to  keep  the  country  quiet  some- 
how. 

The  French  and  Prussian  Consuls  having  now  re- 
turned (the  others  were  absent  still),  I  went  to  talk  over 
matters.  Of  course  each  viewed  the  prospect  of  affairs 
through  different  spectacles. 

Other  would-be  pohtidans  among  us  were  decidedly 
of  opinion  that  the  Turkish  Empire  was  at  last  extin- 
guished, and  that  Palestine  was  to  be  handed  over  to 
Prussia  for  occupation  and  possession,  that  being  a  neutral 
Power,  not  deeply  committed  like  the  greater  Powers  to 
any  line  of  action  that  could  provoke  collision  among 
them,  and  having  no  direct  interest  beyond  Turkey  in 
the  East,  as  England  had. 

These  folk  were,  however,  Uke  the  unfortunate  native 
Christians,  in  no  little  fright  as  to  what  might  happen  in 
Jerusalem  long  before  any  great  Power  could  think  of 
helping  us. 

the  great  Moslem  festival  of  Korban  Bair^  was 
now  at  hand.  Each  family,  if  possible,  kills  a  sheep  for 
this  feast.  Crowds  of  desert  Arabs  came,  during  the  two 
days  preceding  the  festival,  with  sheep  for  sale.  The 
Maid&n,  or  public  place  N.W.  of  the  Jaffa  Gate  (now 
covered  with  the  great  Bussian  buildings)^  was  crowded 
with  wild-looking  strangers, 


332  TRANSPORT  OF  TROOPS. 

Everybody  was  excited,  everybody  talked  of  war.  Yet 
all  went  off  quietly. 

The  castle  guns  fired  the  usual  salutes.  The  usmai 
visits  of  ceremony  were  paid  by  us  to  the  Turkish  Pasha, 
and  to  the  Bin-Bashi  in  command  of  the  soldiers.  This 
officer  said  that  he  was  eager  to  get  at  the  Rusaians,  as 
he  had  done  at  Shumla  twenty-five^  years  before.  During 
our  visit  we  could  see  the  soldiers  packing  up  for  de- 
parture. 

The  Moslems  were  circulating  a  rumour  that  the 
Shereef  of  Mecca  was  coming  to  defend  the  Holy  CSty. 
Jerusalem,  and  its  Hharam  (Sanctuary),  ^th  100,000 
Arabs;  they  were  to  arrive  along  the  Hhaj  road  by 
Ma'an.  This  announcement  was  clearly  a  ruse  of  the 
Pashk  to  keep  up  the  confidence  of  the  people. 

By  the  16th  day  of  September  His  Excellency  the 
Pashk  was  in  much  tribulation,  irom  difficulty  of  getting 
horses,  mules,  etc.,  for  transport  of  the  military  baggage 
to  the  coast.  A  troop  of  thirty  Bashi-Bozuk  had  been 
scouring  the  villages  for  a  week  past,  but  all  animals  had 
been  hidden  in  caves  at  a  distance  by  their  owners,  in 
anticipation  of  the  Government  requisition,  which  they 
hoped  thus  to  evade.  Another  party  of  horse  had  been 
out  for  two  days  on  the  same  errand,  and  had  returned 
with  only  five  camels. 

There  was  a  party  of  French  pilgrims  in  Jerusalem 
at  this  time.  All  were  persons  of  respectable  social 
position— very  different  from  the  low-class  Greek  and 
Armenian  pilgrims  who  repair  to  the  holy  fire  at  Easter. 
These  were  forty  in  number,  five  of  whom  were  ecde- 


.^ 


FRENCH  PILGRIMS.  333 

siastics;  one  of  the  latter  was  Abb^  Bargis,  Hebrew 
Professor  at  the  Sorbonne. 

They  observed  all  due  forms  and  ceremonies  in  their 
^  pilgrimage.  On  first  coming  in  view  of  the  Mount  of 
Olives,  which  shows  itself  before  the  Holy  City  is  seen, 
they  dismounted  for  prayers,  and  did  the  same  shortly 
after,  on  perceiving  the  town  of  Bethlehem,  and  again, 
once  more,  on  obtaining  the  first  view  of  the  gray  old  walls 
of  Jerusalem ;  there  they  remained  an  hour  and  a  half. 

On  the  Maiden  they  were  welcomed  by  the  Sisters 
of  Charity,  the  Seminary  students,  and  others. 

They  mostly  wore  the  white  burnoose,  copied  from 
the  Arabs  of  Algeria  (then,  as  now,  a  French  possession), 
and  each  had  a  small  gilt  cross  that  was  bestowed  on 
him  by  the  Bishop  of  Marseilles  on  their  embarkation. 

After  visiting  the  sanctuaries  of  Jerusalem  and  Beth- 
lehem, they  were  escorted  over  the  country  to  other 
holy  places,  and  were  hospitably  received  in  the  several 
convents.^ 

The  French  pilgrims  all  wore  their  gold  cross  at  their 
button-hole.  The  Koman  CathoUcs  here  said  that,  though 

^  In  ftfter  years  similar  convoys  of  devout  visitors  became  frequent. 
The  Austrians  copied  the  French  precedent^  embarking  their  people  at  Trieste 
in  the  Austrian  Lloyd's  Mess^igeries  packets.  The  Convents  became  weary  of 
such  exhausting  visitations,  and  complained  that  their  funds,  and  even  their 
lodgings,  were  not  sufficient  to  provide  the  supplies  needed.  It  is  moreover 
probable  that  my  information  was  correct  that  pilgrims  of  this  class  were 
more  exacting  than  the  Easter  pilgrims ;  and  although  most  of  them  made 
presents  at  parting,  these  were  perhaps  not  always  equal  to  the  expenses 
incurred  by  the  Convents  for  the  pUgrims,  their  servants  and  their  muleteers. 
The  French,  moreover,  were  apt  to  conduct  themselves  as  *  Protectors  of 
Christianity  in  the  East.'  These  remarks  I  heard  in  the  Monasteries — but 
not  applied  to  this  present  party. 


334  BAOGAGE  MCIJS8  tX  BBQUBST. 

the  conductor  of  the  pilgrims  was  a  worthy  Maltese  Bonum 
Catholic,  who  had  lived  some  years  in  Jemsalem,  the 
idea  of  setting  on  foot  these  pilgrimages  did  not  originate 
with  him,  but  had  *  another  source/  They  said  there  had 
been  no  such  assemblage  of  French  in  Jerusalam  since  the 
Crusades,  and  were,  in  fact,  greatly  excited  on  the  subject 
This  party  of  French  pilgrims  was  just  starting  for 
the  Jordan  and  Dead  Sea,  when  the  Pasha  applied  to  me 
•  to  reason  with  their  conductor,  who  being  a  Maltese, 
was  a  British  subject. 

On  my  doing  so,  the  gentlemen  consented  to  go  on 
the  rougher  conveyance  of  camel,  lending  their  hired 
animals  to  the  soldiers,  on  condition  of  having  them  again 
when  they  should  return  to  the  city  on  the  third  day ; 
for  they  all  felt  (what  their  Consul  had  impressed  upon 
them)  the  necessity  of  fadlitating  military  operations. 
So  a  contract  to  that  effect  was  signed  and  sealed  in  the 
British  Consulate  between  the  Maltese  purveyor  and  the 
Turkish  authorities,  and  all  parties  were  content. 

The  Turkish  Bin-Baahi  (Major)  came  to  take  leave 
before  marching  for  the  war,  and  at  the  same  time  a 
group  of  the  Dehaidah  Arabs,  the  escort  of  these  French 
gentlemen  for  the  Jordan  expedition,  were  seated  under 
the  office  window  of  the  British  Consulate,  arrayed  in 
new  dresses  and  gay  silken  kefiyehs  for  the  head. 

It  was  pleasant  to  have  been  once  more  able  to 
arrange  matters  comfortably  for  so  great  a  variety  of 
applicants — the  Turkish  Government  and  troops,  the 
native  owners  of  the  beasts  of  burden,  the  French  pilgrims 
and  their  wild  Arab  escort,  and  our  own  British  subject 
the  Maltese,  who  stood  as  link  between  them  all  and  my 


OVERTtKES  OF  ABU  OOSH.  335 

Consulate,  he  being  the  responsible  head  and  organizer  of 
the  pilgrim  party. 

Thus  much  for  the  military  movements  consequent 
on  the  outbreak  of  war. 

Next  day  the  old  fox,  'Abderrahhmftn  Abu  Gosh, 
came  to  assure  me  that  the  country  was  quite  ready  for 
action,  armed,  and  only  waiting  for  the  Enghsh  to  give 
them  the  signal  on  the  approach  of  the  Muscovites,  (fie 
had  probably  said  the  same  thing  already,  or  was  on  his 
way  to  say  it,  mutatis  mutandis^  at  the  French  Consulate.) 
And  he  hinted  that  the  Jerood  (levie  en  masse)  of  the 
peasantry  would  have  to  be  fed  and  paid.  Then,  when 
the  enemy  drew  near,  he  would  show  me  pretty  play  of 
his  men  in  the  Wadi  Ali — ^that  is,  in  the  narrow  pass 
between  Bamlah  and  Jerusalem. 

So  I  could  do  no  less  than  promise  to  go  out  and 
witness  the  wondrous  spectacle.  I  did  not  speak  of  the 
possibihty  that  his  Jerood  might  be  scattered  like  chaff 
before  the  wind ;  but  perhaps  my  promise  itself  was  an 
over-rash  one,  because  the  circumstances  might  not  then 
allow  of  my  being  in  the  country.  (Before  now  the  Bri- 
tish Consul  had  been  obliged  to  leave  on  the  outbreak 
of  war.)  A  Hah  hilirl  for  himian  sagacity  was  certainly 
at  fault,  and  the  Moslem  was  at  least  in  the  right  with  his 
creed  of  resignation  (Isl&m)  to  the  providence  of  Heaven 
above — no,  that  is  not  the  word ;  for  a  Moslem  would 
never  imagine  any  providence  to  exist  in  the  imperso- 
nality of  *  Heaven ; '  his  resignation  would  be  to  the  wiU 
of  a  personal  God  in  everything,  but  especially  to  what 
concerned  the  territory  known  as  the  Daru'l  Islam  (Mo- 
hammedan territory). 


336  DEPARTURE  OF  THE  TROOl^. 

The  VTew  would  of  course  partake  in  the  same  reli- 
gious sentiment,  but  then  he  was  no  party  in  the  coming 
conflict. 

At  last  all  preparations  were  complete ;  and  on  tk 
19th  the  BattaUon  (Taboor  of  800),  that  is  to  say,  all  the 
infantry  we  had,  mostly  new  levies  fix)m  elsewhere— 
cavalry  we  never  had  any — ^marched  away  firom  Jeru- 
salem, as  mentioned  at  the  commencement  of  Chapter  L 
They  issued  from  the  Jafia  Gate,  with  the  green  and 
scarlet  religious  banners  of  Nebi  Daood  (i.e.  the  bamiers 
preserved  at  the  Sanctuary  of  Nebi  Daood — the  tomb  of 
the  Prophet  David  on  Mount  Zion),  borne  before  them, 
as  well  as  their  regimental  colours. 

They  ha;lted  on  the  Maid&n  {Place\  where  the  Pashi 
and  all  the  Mohammedan  civic  authorities  were  already 
placed.  The  Kadi  recited  a  solemn  Litany,  to  each  clause 
of  which  the  Moslem  spectators,  as  well  as  the  soldiers, 
responded  *  Amen  I ' 

Then,  after  a  repetition  of  the  grandiose  Fathhah  (die 
opening  chapter  of  the  Kor^n),  the  military  and  their 
relatives  fell  to  kissing  each  other ;  of  course  no  women 
were  present ;  and  lastly,  the  fatal  word  of  command 
was  given ;  no  shouting  followed,  only  the  solemn  silence 
of  resignation,  as  the  last  tramp  was  heard,  and  the  spec- 
tators returned  home,  pondering  over  the  imf)recedented 
state  of  the  coimtry,  and  unable  to  foresee  what  might 
next  occur  on  the  part  of  Tiurkish  administration,  or  even 
on  'the  parts  of  the  several  European  Governments,  in 
reference  to  Jerusalem  and  Palestine. 

One  of  the  Effendis,  in  conversation  with  me,  brought 
out  his  recollection  of  the  comet  of  a  month  previous. 


OMENS.     POPULAR  FEELDSra  337 

He  might  just  as  weU,  if  he  had  known  it,  have  referred 
to  the  fact  of  Saturn  being  then  the  dominant  planet  in 
the  Zodiac,  and  Venus  and  Jupiter  declining  in  the  west 
at  sunset;  for  I  believe  that  Turkish  astrology  would 
accord  with  the  European  of  old  times  as  to  those  omi- 
nous positions  of  the  greater  planets. 

The  Pashk  had  lately  been  found  consulting  an  astro- 
loger as  to  the  Eussian  prospects  of  success. 

It  was  amusing  to  observe  the  small  indications  of 
interest  in  the  war  among  the  people. 

Eussian  coin  had  been  very  common  in  the  bazaars 
for  the  last  two  years,  being  circulated  by  the  Greek 
Convent,  who  had  been  spending  very  freely  upon  their 
agricultural  works  and  buildings.  Indeed,  Eussian  gold 
was  almost  the  only  gold  to  be  seen  in  the  bazaars.  But 
now,  the  day  before  the  departure  of  the  battahon,  a 
poor  Jew  offered  an  Imperial  to  a  Moslem  dealer;  the 
latter  took  it,  spat  upon  the  coin,  and  threw  it  at  the 
Jew's  head. 

The  Eussian  coinage  then  disappeared  for  a  while 
from  circulation.  x 

Again,  the  Turks  were  acquainted  of  old  with  the 
Eussians  as  warlike  neighbours,  and  the  Commandant, 
before  leaving  with  his  soldiers,  was  threatening  to  march 
straight  on  to  *Petropol;'  whereas  the  Arab  Effendis 
inquired, '  Who  are  these  upstart  Eussians  ?  We  have 
heard  of  the  French,  and  English,  and  Germans,  as  being 
honourable  foes  of  Salfihh  ed  Deen  (Saladin);  but  who 
are  these  dead  dogs  with  burnt  fathers — the  Eussians  ? ' 

The  humbler  part  of  the  population,  in  walking  back 
to  the  city  (others  had  been  on  horseback),  observed  with 

VOL.  I.  55 


338  mEPFlCIENT  OARRISOX. 

more  curiosity  that,  immediately  after  the  disappearance 
of  the  troops,  four  very  large  columns  of  sand  in  the  air 
arrived  from  the  Western  quarter,  and  dashed  themselves 
against  the  stubborn  old  castle  (Tower  of  David).     These 
they  supposed  to  represent  the  principal  European  Powers 
approaching,  but  whether  in  friendship  or  in  hostility — 
^  praise  be  to  Him  who  knoweth ! '    Should  the  intent  be 
unfriendly,  the  omen  was  satisfactory  in  predicting  their 
discomfitiure. 

A  sketch  has  thus  been  given  of  the  internal  state  of 
Palestine  during  the  period  shortly  preceding  the  depar- 
ture of  oiu:  battahon. 

The  city  was  now  garrisoned  by  seventeen  peasants 
in  gunners'  uniform,  just  drilled  enough  to  be  able  to  fire 
the  cannon  if  necessary.  For  active  operations  we  had  the 
Bashi-Bozuk  horse,  whose  principal  troop  had  been,  three 
weeks  before,  driven  from  the  village  of  Ain  Karem  to 
the  very  gates  of  Jerusalem  by  a  handful  of  peasants — 
the  officer  who  commanded  them  on  the  occasion  being 
the  same  who,  some  months  ago,  allowed  a  notorious 
robber  to  escape  from  him  while  he  was  saying  his 
prayers,  the  prisoner  having  his  hands  bound  at  the 
time. 

The  fortifications  of  Acre  were  in  a  sad  state  of  dis- 
repair ;  there,  too,  there  was  no  garrison,  but  a  good  deal 
of  gunpowder  in  the  magazines,  though  without  a  light- 
ning-rod. 

At  Jaflfa  was  a  good  store  of  ammunition  in  a  broken 
old  tower  in  the  middle  of  the  streets,  to  the  great  danger 
of  the  inhabitants.  The  Moslems  were  persuaded  that, 
after  Constantinople,  Jerusalem  was  the  next  point  aimed 


MOSLEM  VIEW  OP  THE  SITUATION.  339 

at  by  Eussia,  and  were  accordingly  wanning  up  alliances 
among  old  factions  long  divided,  and  the  village  chiefs 
were  conununicating  with  the  Desert  tribes. 

The  country  was  fully  armed,  every  fellahh  (peasant) 
having  his  sword  in  his  girdle,  and  his  long  gun  at  his 
back.  Gunpowder  they  made  for  themselves  out  of  char- 
coal, sulphur,  and  nitre  of  the  coimtry. 

But  we  felt  that  the  patriotism  which  would  certainly 
animate  the  population  to  fight  to  the  last  against  an 
invader,  existed  mostly  outside  of  Jerusalem ;  for  in  the 
Council  of  Eflfendis  there  existed  '  a  nest  of  hollow 
bosoms '  capable  of  selling  the  city  and  the  Mosque  of 
Omar  itself  for  money. 

According  to  the  point  of  yiew  from  which  the  Mo- 
hammedans and  the  dwellers  in  Jerusalem  regarded 
European  politics,  the  nations  and  states  were  classed 
according  to  the  religions  which  they  severally  professed. 

Of  course  Eussia  (with  Greece)  stood  at  the  head  of 
Eastern  Christendom ;  while  France  took  precedence  of 
Austria,  Bavaria,  Spain,  Sardinia,  Belgium,  &c.,  which 
were  all  included  under  the  general  name  of  Frank  or 
Latin  Christians,  i.e.  the  Western  Church. 

That  Western  Church,  with  all  its  political  influence, 
was  regarded  by  the  Ottoman  Government  as  the  grand 
counterpoise  to  the  Eastern  Church,  and  was  (and  still  is) 
the  refuge  and  resort  of  Turkey  in  defending  herself 
against  the  aggressions  of  Eussia  under  the  specious  pre- 
text of  succouring  the  oppressed  Christians  under  Turkish 
rule. 

The  Greeks,  for  whom  this  championship  was  chiefly 
assumed  by  Eussia,  had  no  choice  or  voice  in  th<^  matter. 

je2 


340  PAINFUL  POSITION  OF  THE  CHMSHANS. 

They  (as  well  as  the  Armenians)  professed,  and  in  many 
cases  very  sincerely,  to  be  loyal  subjects  of  the  Sultan, 
under  whom  they  enjoyed  greater  liberties  than  they 
could  ever  hope  for  should  they  pass  under  the  rigid 
despotism  of  Bussia. 

The  Greeks  and  Armenian  subjects  of  the  Sultan  were, 
indeed  (as  well  as  all  the  Eastern  Christians),  in  a  most 
painful  predicament  whenever  it  suited  Eussda  to  declare 
a  crusade  against  their  sovereign  the  Sultan — because 
they  were  liable,  both  during  the  war  and  in  case  of  the 
Eussians  being  defeated,  to  have  visited  upon  themselves 
all  the  injuries  which  Eussia  might  inflict  upon  Turkey, 
ostensibly  in  their  name  and  on  their  behalf. 

The  only  hope  of  these  Oriental  Christians  lay  in  the 
possible  alliance  of  the  Western  Powers,  and  above  all  of 
England  with  the  Sultan.  Such  an  alliance  would  at  once 
deprive  the  war  of  its  most  dangerous  characteristic, 
namely,  that  of  a  Holy  War  between  all  Christendom  on 
one  side,  and  all  Isl4m  on  the  other. 

That  England  might  step  in,  as  a  Christian  Power — 
wholly  impartial,  and  having  no  conquests  or  auns  of  her 
own  in  connection  with  the  feuds  between  the  Eastern 
and  Western  Churches  about  possession  of  the  Holy 
Places,  and  that  England,  known  hitherto  as  the  practical 
friend  and  protector  of  oppressed  people,  Christians  as 
well  as  others,  might,  by  rendering  the  Sultan  timely  aid, 
acquire  a  right  to  claim  real  liberty,  both  civil  and  re- 
ligious, for  the  Sultan's  subjects — this  was  the  ardent 
prayer  and  hope  of  the  poor  trembling  Christians  in  Tur- 
key ;  and  not  only  the  Christiaiis  desired  it  might  be  so, 
but  also  the  Jews  and  Moslems,  who  knew  by  experience 


Snt  HUGH  ROSE.  841 

that  hitherto  Lord  Fahnerston,  Lord  Stratford  de  Red* 
cliffe,  and  every  true  Englishman  m  the  British  service, 
had  exerted  the  immense  prestige  and  influence  of  Eng- 
land with  invariable  success  for  the  relief  and  emancipa- 
tion from  tyranny  of  all  classes  and  creeds  of  the  subjects 
of  the  Sultan  of  Turkey. 

When,  in  March  1853,  Sir  Hugh  Eose  ^  called  the 
British  fleet  up  to  Vourla  Bay,  the  frightened  Christians 
began  to  hope  that  England  would  take  an  active  part  in 
the  war. 

Sir  Hugh  Eose  was  well  known  all  over  Syria.  He 
had  been  for  several  years  British  Consul-General  in 
Beyroot.  Europeans  knew  him  as  Colonel  Bose,  but  to 
the  natives  he  was  and  is  to  this  day  '  The  Coronel ' — 
the  gallant  officer  who  was  ever  ready  to  come  forward 
as  the  champion  of  the  distressed,  be  they  who  they 
might — ^Druse,  Maronite,  Moslem,  or  Jew. 

Colonel  Eose's  forced  marches  to  and  from  Damascus 
— ^in  days  when  there  were  no  roads  across  the  Lebanon 
— in  order  to  obtain  justice  when  nothing  short  of  his 
personal  interference  could  have  obtained  it ;  his  splendid 
rescue  from  slaughter  of  hundreds  of  old  men,  women, 
and  children  when,  during  the  Lebanon  war  of  the  period, 
he  brought  a  column  of  defenceless  Christian  people  into 
*  safety,  marching  the  whole  day  at  their  head  and  giving 
up  his  own  horse  for  the  sick  while  he  went  on  foot ;  his 
conduct  in  visiting  the  sick  and  dying  when  cholera  was 
ravaging  the  Lebanon  in  1848,  and  when  a  general  panic 
had  so  overcome  the  natives  that  men  feared  to  remain 
by  their  nearest  and  dearest  relations  when  stricken  by 

'  Now  Lord  StmtliiiMni, 


342  THE  BRITISH  FLEET  CALLED   UP- 

the  pestilence — all  these  things  and  a  thousand  leass 
instances  are  told  all  over  the  Lebanon  in  affectionate 
remembrance  of  *  The  CJoronel/ 

And  as  for  the  Turkish  Pashks,  they  knew  that  the 
British  Consul-General  was  a  man  not  to  be  trifled  with, 
and  behaved  accordingly. 

When  it  became  known  in  1852  that  Colonel,  then 
Sir  Hugh  Eose  was  Chargi  d!Af aires  in  Constantinople, 
people  felt  that  British  and  Christian  interests  were  in 
safe  hands. 

When  the  news  came  that  he  had  called  up  the  fleet, 
men  said  that  was  just  what  might  have  been  expected  of 
him. 

Mr.  Kinglake,  in  his  *  Invasion  of  the  Crimea,'  vol.  i., 
thus  describes  this  action  of  Sir  Hugh  Eose  : — 

*  Prince  Mentschikoff  began  the  duties  of  his  mission 
and  he  so  acted  as  to  make  men  see  that  he  was  charged 
to  coerce  and  not  to  persuade.  With  his  whole  embasy 
he  went  to  the  Gtrand  tier's  apartment  at  the  Porte,  but 
refused  to  obey  the  custom  which  imperatively  required 
that  he  should  wait  upon  Puad  Effendi,  the  Minister  for 
Foreign  Affairs.  With  him,  as  it  was  understood,  the 
Ambassador  declined  to  hold  intercourse.  Puad  Eflfendi, 
the  immediate  object  of  the  aflfront,  was  the  ablest  mem- 
ber  of  the  Government.  He  instantly  resigned  his  office. 
The  Sultan  accepted  his  resignation.  There  was  a  pani^ 
It  was  understood  that  Prince  Mentschikoff  was  going 
to  demand  terms  deeply  humiliating  and  injurious  to 
the  Sultan,  and  that  a  refusal  to  give  way  would  be 
followed  by  an  instant  attack. 

'  The  Grand  Vizier  believed  that  the  mission,  ikr  from 


MASSAOBE  OF  CHRISTIANS  AYEBTED.  343 

being  of  a  conciliatory  character,  as  pretended,  was  meant, 
on  the  contrary,  "  to  win  some  important  right  from  Tur- 
key which  would  destroy  her  independence,  and  that  the 
Czar's  object  was  to  trample  under  foot  the  rights  of  the 
Porte  and  the  independence  of  the  Sovereign."    In  short, 
the  Divan  was  so  taken  by  surprise  and  so  overwhelmed 
by   alarm,  as  to  be  in  danger  of  going  to  ruin  by  the 
path  of  concession  for   the  sake  of  averting  a   sudden 
blow.     But  there  remained  one  hope — the  English  fleet 
was  at  Malta;  and  the   Grand  Vizier  went  to  Colonel 
Bose,  who   was   then  in   charge  of  our  affairs   at  the 
Porte,  and  entreated  that  he  would  request  our  Admi- 
ral at  Malta  to  come  up  to  Vourla,  in  order  to   give 
the  Turkish  Government  the  support  of  an  approaching 
fleet.     Colonel  Eose,  being  a  firm,  able  man,  with  strength 
to  bear  a  sudden  load  of  responsibility,  was  not  afraid  to 
go  beyond  the  range  of  conamon  duty.     He  consented  to 
do  as  he  was  asked ;  and  although  he  was  disavowed  by 
the  Government  at  home,  and  although  his  appeal  to  the 
English  Admiral  was  rejected,  it  is  not  the  less  certain 
that  his  mere  consent  to  call  up  the  fleet  allayed  the 
panic  which  was  endangering  at  that  moment  the  very 
life  of  the  Ottoman  Empire.' 

If  it  was  true  that  the  calling  up  of  the  fleet  *  allayed 
a  panic  in  Constantinople  which  was  endangering  at  that 
moment  the  very  life  of  the  Ottoman  Empire,'  it  is  no 
less  true  that  it  checked  a  panic  in  the  remoter  provinces 
of  the  Turkish  Empire,  which  must  have  ended  in  indis- 
criminate massacre  of  the  defenceless  Christians ;  and  that 
it  strengthened  incalculably  the  hands  of  British  officials 
lacattered  and  isolated  in  Palestine  and  elsewhere,  who 


344  WHAT  MOSLEMS  EXPECT. 

had  nothing  but  moral  influence  and  the  prestige  d 
the  British  name  to  aid  them  in  counteracting  hostile  in- 
trigue, in  reassuring  the  terrified  Christians,  in  keeping 
weak  and  sometimes  corrupt  Turkish  officials  to  their 
duty ;  in  short,  in  preserving  the  Empire  from  the  ruinous 
consequences  of  a  Moslem  rising,  as  for  a  Holy  War 
against  all  Christians. 

Mohammedans  are  for  ever  expecting  wars  betwera 
Christendom  and  M&m,  and  to  them  Christendom  h 
Eastern  Christendom ;  they  look  forward  to  the  struck 
for  mastery  between  these  two  being  renewed  again  and 
again  by  the  Christians ;  and  then  to  a  temporary  aacea- 
dancy  of  Christianity.  This  stage  has  been  reached; 
Christians  are  gaining  the  ascendant  more  and  more  in 
the  Holy  Land  and  other  lands  where  Isl&m  impatiently 
bides  its  time ! 

But  they  expect  the  day  of  final  triumph  after  a 
contest  more  sanguinary  and  desperate  than  any  which 
have  preceded  it — a  real  Jehfid,  or  Holy  War,  in  which 
all  the  forces  of  both  sides  will  at  last  be  arrayed  against 
each  other. 

To  a  believing  Moslem  no  fate  can  be  more  glorious 
than  to  die  in  combat  against  the  infidel.  To  die  thus 
is  to  become  a  martyr — a  witness  for  the  truth — ^to 
enter  Paradise  from  the .  battle-field.  This  it  is  which 
nerves  the  sincere  Moslem  for  any  contingency,  which 
gives  him  courage  to  fece  any  odds ;  to  walk  into  the 
cannon's  mouth ;  to  stand  while  grape-shot  mows  down 
the  ranks ;  to  dig  his  own  grave  first  in  the  trenches  and 
then  to  take  pick  or  shovel  or  weapon  from  the  hands  of 
his  dying  comrade  and  to  step  coolly  into  his  place  and 


^VHY  FRANK  KINGS  HELP  THE  SULTAN,     345 

work  on,  though  the  next  moment  may  bring  shot  or 
shell  to  lay  him  low,  maimed  or  dead. 

To  a  true  Moslem  every  fight  with  a  Christian  is  a 
fight  for  his  religion — a  Holy  War  to  that  extent.  Chris- 
tians have  a  right  to  toleration  only  so  long  as  they  are 
obedient  and  submissive.  When  they  break  the  compact 
by  taking  up  arms  they  are  rebels,  and  must  be  treated 
as  rebels  and  infidels. 

It  was  amusing  to  hear  the  bazaar  talk  in  Jerusalem 
at  the  beginning  of  the  Eussian  war,  and  afterwards 
when  an  alliance  between  Turkey  and  some  of  the 
European  nations  waa  first  mooted. 

People  were  so  ignorant,  even  among  the  upper 
classes  of  Moslems,  that  it  was  gravely  said  that  the 
Sultan,  being  attacked  by  the-  Christians  (Kussians),  was 
about  to  call  upon  his  vassals  for  aid  in  money  and  by 
arms. 

Was  not  the  Sultan  the  Khalif- Allah  ?  Did  not  he 
give  permission  to  the  Frank  kings  and  queens  to  put 
on  their  crowns  and  swords  after  they  had  first  made 
submission  to  him  on  their  accession?  Did  not  each 
king  and  queen  take  oath  to  come  and  fight  for  the 
Sultan  when  called  upon  ? 

And  now  he  was  going  to  call  upon  the  Queen  of 
England,  as  his  friend  (and  vassal),  and  upon  the  Latin 
kings,  or  at  any  rate  upon  their  leader,  the  French  Em- 
peror, because  the  enemy  was  leader  of  the  Gfreek  Church, 
and  the  Latin  Church  and  nations  must  from  duty  and 
from  poUcy  come  at  the  call  of  their  suzerain  and  fight 
till  the  ofiender  had  been  chastised.  If  they,  the  vassals, 
came  when  summoned  and  did  their  duty — well ;  if  not. 


846  IS  rr  'idle  talk'P 

i 

why,  they  must  be  supposed  to  have  made  comiDoii  cm 
with  the  enemy. 

And  then  ?  why,  then  the  Green  Flag  must  be  w 
furled,  the  Jehftd  (Holy  War)  must  be  proclaimed  agaiis 
all  Christians — ^in  Circassia  and  Asiatic  Bussia— in  Algei 
against  the  French — in  India  against  the  English— all  titt 
believers  would  rise  as  one  man,  and,  Inshallah !  it  wonB 
not  be  long  before  the  last  great  triumph,  the  cms& 
of  Mohammed,  and  victory  for  ever  to  Isl&m. 

*What  idle  talk  all  this  is  P  some  would  sajjid 
laugh. 

But  it  seemed  to  us  that  words  could  never  be  quit* 
idle,  however  erroneous,  so  long  as  thousands  m 
millions  of  men,  women,  and  children  believe  in  thea 
are  influenced  by  them,  and  are  ready,  at  whatever 
sacrifice,  to  act  blindly  upon  them. 


PART  n. 


FROM  DECLARATION  OF  THE  WAR 
TO  INVASION  OF  THE  CRIMEA 


349 


CHAPTER  Xni. 

JBEUSALEM  AND  PALESTINE   WITHOUT  TURKISH   TROOPS. 

Tufenkchiefl — ^Thievery  in  the  Oity — News  of  the  Rnasian  War — ^Latin 
Patriarch  at  Bait  Jala — A  Judgment  effected  in  behalf  of  the  Latins 
— General  Sir  Oharles  CVDonnell — Oonvent  bigotiy — ^Protestants  in 
Bethlehem — The  Rey.  John  Nicolayson — Safety  in  our  Gamp — Fighting 
in  the  Villages — Endeavours  to  stop  the  Slaughter — 800  Bedaween  be- 
tween Jerusalem  and  Bethlehem — ^Bedaween  in  Bethlehem — Strange 
contrasts  of  War  and  Peace. 

On  entering  the  city,  after  the  parting  scene  of  our  batta- 
Hon,  the  gates  were  found  to  be  sentinelled  with  common 
Tufenkchies. 

We  had  been  well  accustomed  to  the  appearance  of 
these  Tufenkchies,  called  out  of  compliment  by  foreign 
Consuls  the  *  municipal  police,'  but  in  reality  ragged 
hobbledehoys,  bearing  no  other  emblem  of  office  than  a 
peeled  wand  in  hand,  and  chiefly  employed  in  conveying 
official  messages  from  the  Seraglio. 

The  Turkish  word  Tufenkchie  means  a  musketeer, 
but,  Uke  many  designations  in  the  East,  it  has  practically 
lost  its  primitive  signification  in  course  of  time.  Thus  the 
Pashk,  instead  of  being  literally  a  viceroy,^  may  be  a  far 
inferior  officer — civil  in  fact,  though  military  in  theory — in 
one  of  the  grades  corresponding  to  the  rank  of  brigadier- 

^  In  Persian  the  Pa^hah  is  the  king's  foot^  i.e.  standing  in  the  place  of 
the  king — ^as  we  learn  that  the  ancient  monarchs  of  Persia  had  one  court 
officer  called  '  the  king^s  eye/  another  '  the  king's  hand/  &c. 


S50  TUFENKOmES  AS  SENTINELS. 

general,  lieutenant-general,  and  provincial  commander- 
in-chief  (Mir-Lewa,  Mir-Mer&n,  and  Sar-i-askar).  Thus, 
also,  when  a  regiment  falls  short  of  its  complement  (as  is 
generaUy  the  ca^e),  the  Tuz-Bashi  (head  of  a  hundred) 
commands  perhaps  half  that  number,  and  the  Bin-Bashi 
(head  of  a  thousand)  commands  no  greater  proportion. 

The  designation  of  the  *  gens  d'arme '  attached  to  the 
Consuls,  etc.,  has  in  like  manner  lost  its  original  signifi- 
cance. A  Kaww&s  ought  to  be  a  bowman,  i.e.  'an 
archer,'  armed  with  bow  and  arrows,  instead  of  which 
he  is  nowadays  armed  with  pistols  and  sword,  and  is 
most  commonly  recognised  by  a  silver-headed  staff  which 
he  carries  before  his  chief. 

Our  new  Tufenkchie  sentinels  were  in  no  way  superior 
to  those  heretofore  seen  in  Jerusalem ;  they  were,  in  fact, 
the  very  same  mean-looking  persons,  only  they  were  now 
furnished  with  old-fashioned  rusty  guns,  and  were,  in  the 
absence  of  any  military,  posted  at  the  city  gates. 

These  Tufenkchies,  for  the  dty,  and  Bashi-Bozuks 
(irregular  horse),  for  the  country,  were  our  only  Govern- 
ment defence  for  the  whole  province,  extending  from 
Jeneen  to  El-Arish  {i.e.  the  north  of  Samaria  to  the 
Egyptian  Desert),  at  a  time  too  when  the  peasant  factions 
were  rife  with  turbulence,  and  the  Bedaween  hordes  had 
recently  approached  within  sight  of  our  crenellated  walk. 
The  men  came  into  the  streets  and  bazaars  fully  armed 
as  they  were.  When  we  had  sentinels  at  the  gates  in 
ordinary  times  they  had  at  least  to  leave  their  spears,  if 
not  their  guns,  with  the  guard  before  passing  into  the 
city.  There  were  also  Bedawy  women  and  many  gipsies 
to  be  seen  in  Jerusalem. 


NEED  FOR  B£ING  ON  TB^   ALERT.      35l 

The  adjoining  northern  PashaHc  of  Acre  was  no  better 
off,  the  very  fortress  of  St.  Jean  d'Acre  being  only  manned 
by  a  few  gunners — ^peasantry  recently  drilled  for  their 
work. 

While  the  Government  was  thus  powerless  the  pea- 
santry as  well  as  the  Bedaween  were  in  full  activity. 
Several  armourers  in  Jerusalem  were  at  work  night  and 
day  repairing  their  arms.  Old  feuds  were  revived,  of- 
fences long  put  aside,  though  not  forgotten,  were  now 
remembered,  and  everybody  was  talking  about  ven- 
geance, and  battles  and  victories  over  this  faction 
or  that. 

It  was  now  time  for  me  to  gird  up  my  loins,  in  a 
moral  sense,  for  making  my  position  available  for  the 
general  good,  although  I  was  without  the  least  item  of 
directions  or  suggestions  from  either  London  or  Constan- 
tinople. All  the  communications  that  I  received  from 
those  centres  during  the  whole  war  were  limited  to  the 
merest  technicahties  of  office  business.  But,  as  I  have 
said  before,  there  was  reason  to  believe  that  such  was 
not  the  case  with  my  colleagues  in  their  relations  to 
higher  quarters. 

In  preparation  for  any  eventuahty,  from  whatever 
direction  it  might  come,  it  was  clearly  right  and  expe- 
dient to  get  full  and  accurate  information  as  to  the 
state  of  the  whole  country,  and  as  to  every  movement 
among  the  inhabitants.  To  effect  this,  and  in  order  that 
80  wide  a  range  of  territory  as  that  over  which  our 
Consulate  extended  might  be  fully  under  inspection,  it 
was  necessary  to  have  agents  conveniently  placed,  as  I 
have  before  explained. 


352  PSECAUnONS  AND  FEASS. 

My  English-bom  cancelliere,  Mr.  E.  T.  Bogers,  had 
lately  received  the  appointment  of  Vice-Consul  at  Csu& 
(Hhaifu),  where  the  amount  of  merchant  shipping  bus- 
ness  was  on  the  increase.  He  was  despatched  to  hii 
post,  with  instructions  to  attend  to  and  report  to  Jeru- 
salem cases  occurring  in  Nazareth,  Safet,  and  Tiberias, 
in  each  of  which  there  were  English  proUgis.  (Cai&,  at 
the  foot  of  Mount  Carmel,  was  conveniently  situated  f<^ 
observing  all  these  places.) 

The  fears  of  the  Jerusalem  population  augmented 
from  day  to  day,  particularly  among  the  Christians  and 
Jews,  unarmed  as  they  were,  and  unaccustomed  to  the 
use  of  arms.  The  European  residents  and  protected 
persons  looked  up  to  their  respective  Consulates,  and  the 
Consulates  looked  up  to  the  helpless  Pashk. 

Each  Consul  had  his  own  separate  medium  of  vision 
on  which  to  speculate  on  future  contingencies,  and  on 
the  action  which  it  might  in  certain  cases  behove  him  to 
take. 

The  Turkish  ruler,  Hhafiz  Pashk,  described  before, 
while  maintaining  perfect  ceremonious  cordiality  with 
them  all,  naturally  kept  closer  relations  with  the  French 
and  English  representatives,  on  account  of.  the  expected 
military  alliance  in  the  event  of  positive  war.  The  poor 
old  man  grew  feebler  from  day  to  day  as  age  gained 
upon  him.  It  was  piteous  to  behold  him,  bodily  weak* 
ness  and  the  anxieties  of  office  rapidly  exhausting  the 
vital  powers.  People  said  he  was  eighty  years  of  age, 
and  it  seemed  likely  to  be  true. 

During  the  interval  in  which  military  protection  had 
no  existence  for  us,  irregularities  of  all  kinds  naturally 


RURAL  QUIET  DISTURBED.  353 

took  place,  such  as  robbery  on  the  high  roads,  the  revival 
of  the  faction  feuds  of  which  we  have  lately  had  so  much, 
and  other  acts  of  petty  resistance  to  Government  autho- 
rity on  the  part  of  the  peasantry.  The  opportunity  was 
eagerly  seized  for  everybody  to  do  as  they  liked,  though 
the  results  might  have  been  worse  than  they  actually  were. 

In  less  than  a  week  after  the  departure  of  the  troops 
the  people  of  Abu  Dees,  a  village  just  across  the  Mount 
of  Olives,  to  the  east,  were  plundering  the  shepherds 
of  Malhha,  one  of  the  Hhassanlyeh  villages  to  the  south 
of  Jerusalem. 

Soon  afterwards,  on  a  lovely  Sunday  afternoon,  I  was 
at  my  cottage  door  at  the  Taliblyeh  (our  country  place, 
within  a  mile  west  of  the  city),  released  from  the  cares  of 
the  past  week,  and  sitting  under  our  treUised  vine,  with 
a  bush  of  white  roses  at  the  window  on  one  hand,  and  a 
luxuriant  hhalazoneh  (flowering  creeper)  rising  on  the 
other,  surrounded  by  the  family,  and  reading  out  pas- 
sages ;  now  resting  the  book  upon  my  knee  and  looking 
over  the  Holy  City  in  direct  front  of  us,  and  towards  the 
summit  of  Olivet,  now  gazing  in  dreamy  study  on  the 
Moab  mountains,  with  their  subdued  colouring  and  pearly 
lustre  pertaining  to  that  season  of  the  year — in  an  Oriental 
reverie  upon  the  fact  that  no  human  habitation  existed  in 
that  direction  between  us  and  the  great  river,  the  river 
Euphrates — when  in  one  moment  a  rueh  of  about  thirty 
men   of  Malhha  (peasantry,  of  course)  scaled  our  low 
boundary- wall,  dashing  forward,  shouting,  most  of  them 
stripped  to  the  waist,  and  all  ai'med  with  guns,  pistols, 
and   khanjars  (the  short  sword  in  common  use  among 
them). 

VOL.  I.  A  A 


354  PLUNDER  BECOVJSRED, 

We  called  out  to  them,  *  Whither  away,  friends?' 
But  they  were  too  eager  to  stop  and  explain. 

Our  first  supposition  was  naturally  that  they  were 
going  to  take  revenge  on  the  people  of  Abu  Dees,  that 
village  being  exactly  in  the  line  they  were  taking, 
although  the  desperate  haste  seemed  rather  unaecessaij. 
It  turned  out  that  this  was  not  their  present  enterprise ; 
the  Abu  Dees  foray  had  been  already  dealt  with,  retalia- 
tion made,  and  the  flocks  recovered,  to  the  number  of 
about  200  head. 

The  present  affair  was  that  the  same  flocks  had  again 
been  laid  hold  of  just  at  the  foot  of  my  grounds  (which 
sloped  from  the  cottage  downwards  towards  the  Eephaim 
plain),  by  a  roving  party  of  wild  Bedaween — Tiy^hab 
Arabs  from  the  far  South.   These,  however,  on  perceiving 
the  force  of  the  Malhhahites,  made  off,  abandoning  the 
booty  they  were  sweeping  before  them,  and  thus  there 
was  no  fight  this  time.     Our  Malliha  friends  returned  in 
more  leisurely  fashion,  some  by  the  way  they  had  so 
unceremoniously  come,  and  made  civil  apologies  for  the 
intrusion,  urging  the  necessity  of  promptitude  in  the  case. 
The  scene  was  strange  and  unexpected. 

We  now  learned  that  the  maraudera  were  Tiy^hai 
and  Jehhaleen  united,  who  were  retm^ning  from  a  suc- 
cessful ghazu  (foray)  near  BaisS-n  (Beth-shan,  up  the 
Jordan  Valley  towards  Tiberias),  where  they  had  cap- 
tured several  '  sticks '  ^  of  camels  and  many  *  sticks '  of 
sheep  and  goats.  They  had  no  objection  to  augment 
their  booty  with  whatever  came  in  their  way. 

'  By  a  ^  stick '  ('oami)  of  cattle  is  meant  so  many  of  them  as  would  be 
contained  within  a  space  over  which  a  man  (generally  mounted)  can  ihi^^'f 
his  stack;  or  within  a  circle  whose  radius  is  measured  in  the  sane  way. 


( 


SELF-DENYING  BEDAWEEN.  855 

Never  before  had  we  known  wild  desert  plunderers 
to  exercise  their  vocation  under  the  very  walls  of  Jeru- 
salem. How  near  the  city  gates  (and  now  harmless 
guns)  they  had  actually  ventured  we  soon  found  out, 
and  also  that  there  were  some  cattle  which,  however 
tempting,  even  these  wild  fellows  had  a  wholesome  fear 
of  meddhng  with. 

Two  of  the  ladies  and  children  of  our  party  had 
been  attending  the  afternoon  service  at  Christchurch,  on 
Mount  Zion,  and  our  groom,  an  Egyptian,  and  a  shrewd 
old  fellow,  had  gone  down  the  hill  with  two  saddle  asses 
to  bring  them  back,  shortly  before  the  alarm  of  the 
peasantry.  The  Bedaween,  mounted  on  their  drome- 
daries, met  our  groom  at  the  foot  of  the  ascent  to  the 
Jaffa  gate  of  the  city  and  cast  a  longing  eye  at  the  led 
animals,  one  of  which  was  a  remarkably  fine  specimen 
of  the  Egyptian  ass,  and  of  course  somewhat  valuable. 

^  Whose  are  those  ? '  asked  the  Bedaween. 

*  The  English  Consul's ;  best  for  you  not  so  much  as 
to  look  at  them,'  retorted  our  groom.  The  Bedaween 
were  of  his  opinion  and  rode  forward,  to  fall  in  five 
minutes  afterwards  wdth  the  flock  of  sheep  and  goats  and 
sweep  them  off*  by  way  of  comfort  at  having  had  to 
exercise  so  much  self-denial.  Fortune  was  against  them 
here  too,  for,  as  we  have  seen,  the  peasant  owners  some- 
how got  wind  of  what  was  going  on,  and  came  to  the 
rescue  just  in  time  to  decide  the  Bedaween  upon  a  hasty 
retreat  minus  the  cattle. 

Next  morning  on  the  ride  to  my  usual  office  business 
in  town  I  was  met  by  the  Shaikh  of  the  Jehh&leen,  Hhaj 
Daif  Allsh,  and  his  brother,  together  with  the  giant 

A  A  2 


356  THIEVERY  IN  THE  CITY. 

Saf-ez-Zeer  (a  thieving  outlaw  of  the  Ta'amra,  who  lad 
broken  loose  horn  the  respectable  portion  of  his  tribe, 
with  two  or  three  followers  as  great  scamps  as  hiiMeK). 

Here  they  were,  on  the  very  morrow  of  the  escapade 
of  the  day  before,  in  all  the  innocence  of  their  hearts  on 
their  way  to  pay  me  a  friendly  visit,  and  they  coollj 
reported  that  in  the  Bais&n  foray  they  had  '  gained '  (5 
sixty  cows  and  thirty  asses  from  the  S'koor  Arabs,  near 
Tiberias,  but  made  no  mention  of  the  plunder  aboie 
described. 

What  could  I  do  under  the  circumstances?  Glad 
to  escape  from  the  duty  of  giving  them  hospitable  re- 
ception as  guests  at  my  camp,  the  morning  salutati(Htf 
were  simply  pronoimced.  But  I  sent  word  after  to 
that  I  was  resolved  to  make  no  presents  to  Arabs  ^ 
the  return  of  soldiery  to  Jerusalem. 

Within  the  city  I  found  people  in  a  state  of  alarm  on 
account  of  burglaries  by  night,  which  were  becoming  ^ 
frequent  occurrence.  So  much  gunpowder  was  fixed  off 
in  order  to  frighten  away  real  or  imaginary  robbers  that 
people  persuaded  themselves  that  attacks  were  mu^ 
more  frequent  than  they  really  were. 

It  was,  of  course,  my  duty  to  take  note  of  these 
occurrences  and  to  represent  them  to  the  authorities; 
that  is  to  say,  to  the  Pashk,  poor  man,  and  to  the  notables 
of  the  city. 

The  chief  of  the  police  was  well  known  to  be  the 
head  of  the  burglars.  He  waa  notoriously  the  worst 
man  in  the  country,  and  had  been  removed  from  oScs 
some  five  years  before  through  the  influence  of  our 
Embassy  at  Constantinople  on  account  of  his  concern  ^ 


CmEF  OF  THE  POLICE  AND  BURGLARS.  357 

the  murder  of  a  British  subject,  a  poor  pedlar,  who  had 
incurred  his  hatred  anjl  had  been  destroyed  under  cir- 
cumstances of  great  cruelty.  We  succeeded  in  proving 
the  murder,  but  it  was  not  so  easy  to  bring  it  home  to 
the  criminal,  though  he  was  perfectly  well  known  to 
have  had  the  principal  share  in  it.  The  only  thing  we 
could  do  was  done,  in  getting  him  displaced  firom  office 
on  account  of  his  many  other  dehnquencies. 

For  some  years  past  the  thieves  had  been  quiet.  They 
had  found  us  too  vigilant  and  active  in  detecting  and 
bringing  them  to  justice,  and  we  heard  but  httle  of  them 
as  far  as  British  subjects  were  concerned. 

Now,  however,  their  old  chief  had  once  more  got 
himself  back  into  office ;  and  though  he  was  careful  not 
to  get  into  the  hands  of  the  Consulate,  people  were  very 
much  frightened  at  the  robberies  which  were  committed 
in  the  houses  of  natives  and  of  many  Europeans.  Times 
were  no  doubt  very  favourable  for  the  burglars,  whether 
village  peasants  or  town  thieves,  with  their  allies  in  the 
police.^ 

Our  intelligence  from  without  was  both  scant  and 
slow.     News  of  the  Turkish  resolution  in  favoiur  of  war, 

^  It  is  difficult  to  convey  to  readers  of  this  history  the  sense  of  security 
whicli  British  subjects  sndprotigSs  enjoyed  in  the  midst  of  all  the  confusion 
and  disorder  in  the  country.  Yet  at  the  very  moment  while  things  were 
as  described  in  these  pages,  we  all  were  in  our  summer  encampments — coming 
and  going  without  any  extra  precautions — taking  our  evening  stroll  alone — 
our  children  rambling  about  the  neighbourhood.  The  whole  secret  lay  in 
this :  the  British  Consul  was  believed  to  have  means  of  finding  out  every- 
thing—past experience  led  to  that  belief.  He  was  further  believed  to 
Trritfl  down  everything,  and  to  make  reports  to  his  superiors.  Sir  Stratford 
Canning,  in  Constantinople,  and  I^ord  Palmerston,  in  London,  were  the  em- 
bodiment in  people's  minds  of  Britisb  government  and  energy.  Criminals 
were  known  to  be  unfiulingly  brought  to  justice  sooner  or  later.  It  was  felt 
by  evildoers  to  be  unsafe  ixy  meddle  witb  anybody  nnder  British  protection. 


358  FKANOE  AND  ENGLAND  JOIN    TURKEY. 

and  the  crossing  of  the  Danube  by  Omar  Pashk,  readied 
us  so  long  after  date  that  we  felt  more  concerned  ^ 
what  was  passing  around  us  than  with  ^^hat  seemed  only 
thunder  at  a  distance.  It  was  with  glee,  however,  to 
after  a  time  M.  Botta  announced  that  France  and  Eag- 
land  were  not  going  to  be  any  longer  *  humbugged '  (li 
own  expression  in  English)  by  the  Vienna  transactions: 
they  were  to  prosecute  the  war  '  honourably.' 

This  intelUgence  bore  upon  our  own  position.  The 
fact  of  active  co-operation  by  France  and  England  wili 
Turkey  could  not  fail  to  prove  a  real  protection,  first  of 
all  to  British  subjects,  but  secondly,  and  in  no  sligit 
degree,  to  all  Christians ;  because  the  very  fact  of  Chris- 
tian Powers  being  ranged  op  the  Sultan's  side  mvA 
deprive  the  war  of  its  most  dangerous  aspect,  as  a  Ecq 
War  of  all  Moslems  against  the  Christians,  and  at  once 
do  away  with  any  pretext  for  general  massacres  of  Chris- 
tians by  Moslems. 

The  Austrian  Consul  had  hitherto  been  accustomed 
to  regard  lightly  all  idea  of  real  war  being  at  hm^ 
seeing  that  the  Conferences  at  Vienna  had  undertaken, 
out  of  compassion  to  poor  Turks,  to  avert  the  peril  from 
them  and  all  annoyance  from  every  other  quarter.  An" 
who  so  able  to  do  this  as  the  Austrians,  always  masten 
in  diplomacy,  besides  being  of  the  Western  Church,  and 
yet  not  French  ?    The  officers  of  an  Austrian  frigatf  ^^^ 

Then  tibe  native  population  had  received  so  much  help  in  getting  iznpftrtiu 
justice  through  the  British  Consul — he  was  so  well  known  to  be  willing  ^ 
give  any  amount  of  patience  and  trouble  in  aid  of  a  righteous  canse^^^^ 
was  trusted  and  respected  as  well  as  feared.  '  In  those  dajs  British  in^^' 
ence  could  do  more  for  the  protection  of  human  life  than  armies  of  eom^ 
could  have  done. — Editob's  Noxs. 


LATIN  INTERESTS.  350 

had  lately  visited  us  (in  September)  were  entirely  of  the 

same  mind  ;  they  had,  however,  supplied  their  Consulate 

i?vith  some  barrels  of  gunpowder  and  a  store  of  firearms 

for  its  defence,  on  account  of  some  rabble  of  the  streets 

having  lately  broken  some  of  the  windows  there  while 

shouting  '  Down  with  the  infidels ! '   M.  Kzzamano,  when 

thus  provided,  notified  to  the  Pashk  his  intention  to  fire 

upon   the  first  man  that  should  offer  indignity  to  his 

Consulate  or  to  his  person  as  a  soldier.     So  he  told  us ; 

and  it  would  thus  seem  that  his  species  of  diplomacy  was 

founded  on  the  maxim,  '  Si  vis  pacem  para  bellum.' 

We  had  also  learned  from  Constantinople  that 
Western  or  Latin  Christianity  was  to  be  strengthened  in 
Jerusalem,  by  having  the  Holy  City  made  the  station  for 
Consuls-General,  instead  of  Bayroot,  and  that  several 
new  representatives  of  European  Latin  kingdoms  were 
to  be  established,  viz.,  those  of  Spain,  Naples,  etc.,  who 
all  together  were  to  combine  in  forming  a  bulwark 
against  the  sole  protection  of  (Latin)  Christianity  hitherto 
usurped  by  *  ces  Messieurs  les  Fran9ais.*  ^ 

Of  course  there  could  be  no  more  favourable  moment 
for  advancing  Latin  interests  in  the  Tiurkish  Empire  than 
now,  while  their  ancient  rivals  the  Easterns  (Eussian.  and 
Greek)  were  in  open  hostihty  with  Turkey. 

So  thought  not  only  the  political  leaders  of  Latin 
Christianity,  but  also  our  energetic  Latin  Patriarch,  Mon- 
signore  Valerga.  From  the  beginning  of  His  Grace's 
accession  to  ofiice  (in  1847)  he  had  been  zeaJous  in 

^  M.  Pizzamano's  hopes  were  not  fulfilled  till  the  end  of  1857,  when  he 
was  raised  to  the  rank  ol  Consul-General.  A  Spanish  Consulate  was  estab- 
lished in  Jerusalem  in  1854. 


et 


GO  TIIE  LATINS  .\ND  BAIT  JALA. 


furthering,  in  every  passible  way,  the  progress  and  the 
stability  of  the  Latin  Church.  Since  his  arrival  in  Jero- 
salem,  in  1848,  he  had  cast  his  eyes  on  the  village  d 
Bait  Jala  as  a  desirable  po^ession,  and  he  had  besides 
earnestly  laboured  to  establish  a  Seminary  or  Patriarelnl 
College  for  the  education  of  Syrian  youth. 

The  village  of  Bait  Jala  lies  near  Bethlehem,  Tn- 
vellers  in  that  country  can  scarcely  foil  to  observe  it  from 
the  rite  of  Rachel's  Sepulchre,  on  the  way  from  Jeru- 
salem. Bethlehem  lies  on  one  side,  and  on  the  opposte 
side  there  is  a  hilly  range  clothed  with  an  extensive 
olive  plantation,  and  from  the  midst  of  these  trees  rises 
a  cheerful-  looking  but  small  village.  That  village  ia  Bait 
Jala. 

There  was  then  as  now  among  its  houses  what  was 
unparalleled  in  South  Palestine,  a  Christian  village  church 
of  the  Greek  rite,  which  was  distinguishable  at  a  distance 
by  its  somewhat  larger  size  than  the  peasant  dwellings^ 
and  by  its  round  dome — not  large,  yet  sufficiently  con- 
spicuous to  attract  the  eye. 

Simple  as  was  its  appearance,  and  unUke  to  a  village 
church  in  England,  it  stood,  and  stands,  a  monument  of 
Christianity  in  a  Mohammedan  country.  In  this  respect 
the  two  villages  of  Bethleliem  and  Bait  Jala  were  sisters 
and  neighbours;  only  Bethlehem,  having  an  immense 
common  church  (sacred  and  common  to  all  the  Chris- 
tians), besides  a  Latin  one  and  three  huge  convents,  with 
a  bustling,  active  population,  had  not  the  peculiar  rural 
atmosphere  of  the  other. 

The  population  in  both  was  for  the  most  part  Cliris- 


THE  PATRIARCirS  DESIGNS.  361 

tian,  but  in  Bait  Jala  the  people  (about  3,000  ia  number) 
were  of  the  Greek  orthodox  rite. 

Often  have  I  heard  the  anecdote  repeated  of  a  group 
of  travellers  passing  from  Jenisalem  to  Bethlehem  under 
the  guidance  of  a  Franciscan  friar,  pointing  to  the  village 
in  its  olive  grove  and  asking  their  leader  whether  its  in- 
habitants were  Christian,  being  told,  *  Non  sono  Christiani 
— sono  Greci.' 

On  this  village  of  Bait  Jala,  near  to  the  Sanctuary  of 
Bethlehem,  yet  not  like  Bethlehem,  under  the  dominion 
of  the  Franciscans,  the  Latin  Patriarch  had  cast  his  eyes. 
There  were,  however,  difficulties  in  the  way;  but  to  some 
men  difficulties  seem  only  to  exist  in  order  that  they  may 
remove  them. 

The  difficulties  were  these.  The  villagers — all  of  the 
Greek  commimion — vs^ere  so  much  bound  under  various 
obligations  to  the  Greek  convent  as  to  be  practically 
their  serfs.  His  Grace  enquired,  *Are  there  no  Latins 
there  F  '  '  None,'  was  the  answer ;  '  they  have  all  emi- 
grated into  Bethlehem.'  *But  when  they  removed  did 
they  leave  no  lands,  no  claims  on  land,  no  olive-trees 
behind  them  ?  ^     *  Oh,  yes,  and  they  use  them  still.' 

Here  was  ground  to  go  upon  ;  and  upon  this  basis — 
the  fact  that  some  former  Latin  inhabitants  of  Bait  Jala 
still  were  recognised  owners  of  property  in  their  old 
home,  a  plan  was  projected  and  carrried  out  by  the  Pa- 
triarch for  recovering — not  merely  foothold — but  a  para- 
mount position  at  Bait  Jala  for  the  Latin  Church. 

As  Greek  influence  declined  at  Constantinople  on 
the  approach  of  war,  the  rival  Latin  influence  rose  in  pro- 


862  A  LODGMENT  EFFECTED. 

portion — and  Patriarch  Valerga,  backed  by  the  Tremk 
Embassy  at  the  Porte,  improved  his  opj>ortuiiity.  Tbe 
Bethlehemite  emigrants  from  Bait  Jala  were  induced  bf 
various  means  to  repair  their  old  family  houses — or  to 
build  new  ones,  however  small  or  slight,  and  then  to  k 
out  two  or  three  of  these  to  His  Grace  on  a  repairing  l^ae. 
After  some  few  months  of  holding  these  he  demolished 
them  and  built  one  good  house  in  their  stead,  in  ivhicfa  he 
took  up  his  own  country  residence. 

To  dislodge  some  insignificant  person,  being  a  Latin 
intruder,  might  have  been  easy  to  the  Greek  Convent— 
to  dislodge  even  a  Patriarchal  chaplain ;  but  to  get  rid  d 
the  Patriarch  himself  in  person,  with  all  his  suite  d 
chaplains  and  secretaries— Italians  and  Frenchmen,  iritk 
the  powerful  protection  of  their  respective  nationalities, 
backed  by  the  Court  of  Eome  itself — ^here  was  a  difficult 
problem  indeed. 

During  the  earlier  stages  of  the  afiair  the  thick-headed 
peasantry  put  every  imaginable  obstacle  in  his  path,  ai 
the  instigation  of  their  clergy  who  would  as  lief  have 
seen  the  enemy  of  all  mankind  among  them  (perhaps 
rather — ^for  they  might  trust  to  be  able  to  cast  him  out! 
as  a  Eoman  Catholic  propagandist.  Bullets  were  fired 
into  his  windows  and  into  the  windows  of  his  chapIsiQ 
and  his  secretary,  in  order  to  fiighten  them  away.  Tbe 
people  even  concerted  a  plan  for  carrying  ofl*  His  Grace 
bodily  and  blindfolded  to  some  distant  place. 

Ignorant  creatures  !  They  little  comprehended  the 
strength  that  lies  in  the  pertinacity  of  Europeans  in 
carrying  out  a  plan  well  digested  and  resolved  on; 
they  had  as  yet  had  but  little  experience  how  Eomish 


GENERAL  SIR  CHARLES  O'DONNELL.  363 

designs  can  thrive  under  pressure  of  opposition,  when 
there  is  temporal  power  at  command.  Violence  on  their 
part  was  the  very  Jthing  needed  to  promote  the  Patri- 
archal  success. 

Herein  lies  very  often  the  difference  between  Euro- 
peans and  Asiatics. 

The  persecutions  and  sufferings  were  represented  at 
Constantinople  to  the  full  extent  of  the  facts.  Then  fol- 
lowed progress  on  the  Latin  side :  from  stage  to  stage 
things  went  on,  the  natives  being,  as  always,  worshippers 
of  success ;  till  at  present  the  dark,  rich  olive  grove  of 
Bait  Jala  encloses  a  quadrangle  of  European  buildings, 
formed  by  a  Patriarchal  palace,  a  church  of  pointed  ar- 
chitecture, and  a  Collegiate  seminary ;  but  this  is  antici- 
pating events,  which  shall  be  related  according  to  date 
as  we  arrive  at  them  in  our  history. 

Curiously  enough,  while  Latin  influences  were  thus 
naturally  in  the  ascendant,  we  had  some  little  incidents 
marking  the  state  of  feeling  as  regarded  Protestants.  One 
of  our  traveller  visitors  about  this  time  was  Major-Gene- 
ral  Sir  Charles  O'Donnell,  formerly  in  Bombay  service, 
but  now  fresh  from  the  Danube,  and  able  to  give  us  news 
of  the  Turkish  army  as  100,000  strong,  in  excellent 
spirits,  and  having  a  few  good  officers  (rather  a  rarity  at 
that  time  in  the  Ottoman  service — ^the  privates  bdng 
generally  far  better  soldiers  than  their  officers),  also  some 
Prussians  over  the  artillery  and  some  French  among  the 
cavahy.  He  had  passed  through  Constantinople,  Athens, 
and  Smyrna,  which  had  afforded  him  opportunities  for 
observing  the  general  condition  of  affairs  in  all  these 
places.    Sir  Charles  had  intended  to  do  as  is  usual  with 


364  CONVENT  BIGOTRY. 

travellers — break  the  long  ride  from  Jaffa  into  two  days' 
journey,  by  resting  the  first  night  at  Kamlah. 

On  ringing  the  bell  at  the  Latin  Convent  there,  one 
of  the  friars  (it  may  be  supposed  the  one  whose  duty  it 
was  to  attend  to  strangers)  looked  over  the  parapet  above 
the  gate,  and  among  other  enquiries  asked,  '  Are  you  a 
Protestant  ? '     *  What  is  that  to  you  ? '  was  the  rejoinder ; 

*  I  am  a  traveller  in  the  Holy  Land,  and  ask  the  hospi- 
tality for  the  giving  of  which  your  house  was  built.'  *  Are 
you  a  Catholic  ? '  *  Did  you  ever  hear,'  said  he,  *  of  an 
O'Donnell  that  was  not  one.?^'  (This  argument  was  pecu- 
liarly to  the  point,  seeing  that  most  of  the  inmates  there 
are  always  Spaniards,  and  should  know  who  the  O'Don- 
nells  are).  '  My  family  have  been  better  Catholics  than 
you,  or  all  of  you  put  together.'  *  Are  you  a  Protestant.?' 
'  Well  it  so  happens  that  in  this  case  I  am  a  Protestant.' 

*  Then  you  cannot  be  admitted.' 

Sir  C.  O'Donnell  turned  away  to  the  small  Armenian 
Hospice,  where,  to  his  surprise,  he  met  with  exactly  the 
same  reception,  and  he  had  to  proceed  on  his  journey 
through  the  night  to  Jerusalem. 

Probably  the  refusal  in  both  instances  originated  in 
some  stupid  monkish  confusion  of  ideas  about  politics  and 

war,  each  party,  though  with  such  separate  interests, 

• 

expecting  that  now  its  own  faction  of  Christianity  would 
rise,  and  the  tide  of  events  would  be  turned  on  its  behalf. 
Not  long  before  an  English  lady  of  rank  had  met 
with  the  same  treatment  on  a  hot  day  at  Bethlehem  from 
the  Greek  Convent.  The  same  reftisal  on  the  ground  of 
being  a  Protestant  was  made  to  her  after  long  ringing  at 
the  gate,  and  the  lady  had  to  pass  on. 


TREATMENT  OF  PROTESTANTS,  '865 

Anyone  who  knows  from  experience  the  intense  re- 
verberation of  the  sun's  -heat  at  that  gate  almost  all  the 
year  round,  will,  and  no  others  will,  be  able  to  appreciate 
tbis  conduct  of  the  anti-protestant  fanatics. 

It  was  remarkable  that  all  the  sects  who  have  con- 
vents,  professedly  with  provision  for  hospitality  to  way- 
farers,  should  at  one  and  the  same  time  have  adopted  the 
same  course,  not  against  each  other — ^for  that  was  un- 
necessary, but  against  the  one  class  of  Christians  who 
had  no  such  hospices. 

However,  I  had  the  case  of  Sir  Charles  O'Donnell 
represented  to  the  President  of  Terra  Santa,  in  Jeru- 
salem, and  after  that  no  more  such  complaints  were 
beard  from  travellers. 

"With  respect  to  the  community  of  Protestants  in 
Bethlehem  I  took  pains,  in  consideration  of  my  oflScial 
position,  to  avoid  all  appearance  of  promoting  a  Protest- 
ant faction  in  that  town.  The  word  faction  is  here  in- 
tentionally used,  because  experience  has  shown  that  it  is 
possible  for  native  peasantry  to  call  themselves  Protest- 
ants when  their  'protesting*  only  arises  from  personal 
pique,  or  from  the  mercenary  hope  (always  disappointed) 
of  having  their  taxes  paid  for  them,  as  they  would  be  on 
their  joining  other  religious  communities. 

Yet  very  far  be  it  from  me  to  hint  that  there  are 
no  converts  from  enlightened  and  conscientious  motives. 
The  contrary  is  certainly  the  case. 

There  were  dissensions  enough  in  Bethlehem ;  still 
there  was  the  fact  that  there  was  a  Protestant  congrega- 
tion existing  there,  and  that  it  was  recognised  as  such  by 
the  local  Government, 


366  FBOTESTAMB  IN  BETHLEHEM* 

I  once  took  a  few  friends  with  me  to  inspect  the 
school  of  the  native  Protestants,  and  to  inquire  into  tb 
instruction  of  the  pupils.  We  found  the  children  cheer 
ful  and  their  parents  happy.  The  latter  crowded  up  to  tk 
windows  to  see  what  was  going  on.  I  heard  the  childreB 
repeat  our  Church  Catechism,  in  which  they  were  quite 
as  well  grounded  as  I  had  been  accustomed  to  find  village 
children  in  England ;  and  I  must  confess  to  a  sensation  of 
pleasure  on  hearing  its  contents  recited  in  that  pecu&r 
place,  and  pronounced  with  their  strong  rustic  utterance 
of  Arabic,  so  different  from  the  simpering  or  lisping  accent 
of  most  of  the  Jerusalem  Christians. 

They  read  chapter  xx.  of  St.  Matthew,  and  the  sehool- 
master  (a  native)  made  them  a  short  address  upon  what 
they  had  read,  concluding  with  prayers,  consisting  of  some 
of  the  collects  from  our  Prayer- Book. 

All  this  was  satisfactory  for  a  school  only  seven  montb 
established.^  The  parents  and  friends  choked  up  the 
doorway  and  climbed  in  at  the  windows,  and  among  them 
was  the  old  man  mentioned  before  as  having  seen  Sydney 
Smith  in  his  youth.  He  was  now,  and  had  been  for  some 
time,  one  of  the  Shaikhs  of  the  town.  After  an  alfresco 
meul  on  an  open  terrace  commanding  fine  views  spiead 
before  them,  our  party  returned  to  Jerusalem,  being  ac- 
companied on  their  way  by  the  Bethlehemites,  with  gun- 
firings  and  rejoicings  as  on  arrival. 

By  this  time  we  had  reached  the  month  of  Octo- 
ber. The  season  had  not  yet  broken  up,  and  we 
were  still  out  in  our  summer  camp ;  but  the  appear- 
ance of  distant  lightning  on  the  evening  of  October  Ist 

^  It  has  now  been  long  since  made  over  to  a  Prussian  Mission  there. 


AEABIO  CHURCH  SERVICE,  367 

gave  presage  of  a  coming  change,  and  that  commence* 
ment  of  the  rains  was  at  hand.  The  wmd  rose  at 
jiight  and  a  good  deal  of  rain  fell. 

Of  course  there  was  talk  of  striking  the  tents  and 
moving  into  town  for  the  winter;  but  the  first  rains 
rarely  last  more  than  two  or  three  days,  and  are  followed 
by  delightful  weather,  with  hot  sunshine,  so  that  we  were 
not  willing  to  hurry  our  removal  out  of  the  delicious, 
pure  country  air.  October  2nd  being  Sunday,  the  grown 
members  of  our  own  and  of  the  Bishop's  encampment 
(which  included  the  camp  of  the  English  missionary  cler- 
gyman and  his  family)  went  to  town  as  usual  for  the 
services  at  Christchurch,  on  Mount  Zion,  beginning  with 
the  early  Arabic  service  at  seven  o'clock  in  the  morning. 

EDITOR'S  NOTE. 

There  was  in  those  days  an  early  service  at  Christchurch^  on 
Mount  Zion,  on  certain  Sunday  mornings,  in  the  Arabic  lan- 
guage, for  the  benefit  of  the  Oriental  Christians  who  had 
become  members  of  our  congregation.  It  was  cooducted  by 
the  incumbent,  the  Rev.  John  Nicolayson. 

No  account  of  the  inhabitants  and  condition  of  the  Holy 
City  would  be  complete  without  some  mention  of  him.  A  Dane 
by  birth,  but  in  English  orders,  and  thoroughly  attached  to  our 
Church  and  nation,  Mr.  Nicolayson  was  the  oldest  English 
resident  in  Jerusalem  of  our  European  community.  During 
nearly  thirty  years  he  had  laboured  here  as  missionary  to  the 
Jews,  and  he  had  acquired  an  intimate  knowledge  of  the  prin- 
cipal languages,' the  manners,  customs,  and  peculiarities  of  the 
various  inhabitants  of  the  land.  To  his  prudence,  tact,  and 
courage  during  the  early  years  of  his  residence  may  be  attri-* 
buted  much  of  the  success  that  attended  the  establishment  of 
the  Mission  in  Palestine,  the  founding  of  the  Medical  Mission, 
the  building  of  the  church,  and  the  gathering  of  the  congre- 
gation around  him. 


368  THE  KEV.  JOHN  NICOLAYSON. 

Mr.  Nicolayson  had  lived  in  Jerusalem  during  many  yean 
of  anxiety  and  danger,  when  there  were  no  laws  of  toleration  in 
the  Turkish  Empire,  no  Consular  protectors  for  foreigners,  no 
Turkish-bom  authorities  resident  in  Jerusalem,  and  no  steamers 
or  railways  to  facilitate  communication  with  Europe.  ,  He  lived 
through  the  dangerous  and  troublous  times  that  followed  the 
Greek  War  of  Independence  and  during  the  struggles  of  the 
Egyptian  Viceroy,  Mehemet  Ali,  and  his  son,  Ibrahim  Pasha, 
for  supremacy  in  Syria,  which  ended  in  the  war  of  1841,  and 
which  restored  that  country  to  the  Turks.  He  and  his  fanuly 
went  through  the  dangers  of  siege,  famine,  earthquake,  and 
plague,  and  were  preserved  through  them  all. 

The  experience  gained  through  so  long  and  eventful  a  life 
enabled  Mr.  Nicolayson  to  form  sound  opinions  on  the  character 
of  the  various  inhabitants  and  on  the  condition  of  the  country. 
His  calm,  quiet  courage  was  of  immense  value  in  times  of 
diflBculty  or  danger.  He  was  known  and  respected  all  over  the 
land — by  Jews,  Turks,  Christians  of  the  different  Churches,  and 
by  the  Europeans,  with  all  of  whom  he  was  able  to  converse  in 
their  own  language.     He  had  studied  Arabic  deeply. 

As  before  mentioned,  it  was  he  who  used  to  conduct  the 
early  service  on  Sundays  in  that  language.  As  ineiunbent  of 
the  Church  he  also  had  charge  of  the  Hebrew,  English,  and 
German  services ;  but  in  these  the  Bishop  and  the  other  mis- 
sionaries took  part. 

It  was  our  custom  to  attend  this  Arabic  service,  and  this 
made  it  necessary  to  leave  the  camp  very  early  in  the  morning. 
The  English  service  followed  at  ten  o'clock. 

In  order  to  avoid  the  going  to  and  fro,  we  used  to  break- 
fast and  dine  with  Mr.  Nicolayson  between  the  services,  and  to 
return  to  camp  after  the  last  was  over.  •  Very  delightful  were 
the  quiet  hours  thus  spent  in  his  house,  the  change  from  the 
fatigues  and  anxieties  of  the  week  to  the  rest  and  refreshment, 
not  only  of  the  absence  from  all  business,  but  of  the  pleasant 
intercourse  with  our  old  friend.  My  husband's  journals  con- 
tain touchiBg  allusions  to  these  visit*  and  to  the  charm  of  Mr. 
Nicolayson's '  chastened  conversation,'  when  topics  of  the  deepest 


QUIET  SUNDAYS.  369 

interest  as  concerning  the  Holy  Land  and  all  the  future  that 
lay  before  the  Christian  Church  and  the  people  of  Israel 
occupied  our  attention*  This  was  natural,  considering  the 
wonderful  changes  that  Mr.  Nicolayson  here  in  Jerusalem,  and 
we  ourselves  first  at  a  distance,  and  then  here,  had  watched 
passing  over  the  land  and  the  people  of  Israel. 

Passing  events  were  bringing  the  Holy  City  more  and  more 
into  notice  among  the  great  nations  of  the  world.  It  was  im- 
possible to  avoid  the  conviction  that  never  again  could  Jeru- 
salem be  the  unnoticed  Eastern  town  which  we  had  known  it 
to  be  ;  that  ere  long  the  interest  of  the  nations  would  gather 
around  and  centre  in  the  place  from  which  we  were  watching 
with  intensest  interest  the  unfolding  of  the  mighty  events 
which  were  just  then  beginning  to  develop  themselves. 

These  quiet  Sundays  on  Mount  Zion  stand  out  in  contrast 
to  the  turmoil  and  restlessness  of  our  lives  during  the  week. 
All  the  inhabitants  knew  that  Sunday  was  our  day  of  rest. 
They  never  attempted  to  bring  before  us  any  business  which 
could  be  deferred  till  the  next  morning.  Excepting  in  cases  of 
absolute  necessity  none  disturbed  us  on  that  day.  In  the  afber- 
noon-we  returned  to  our  camp. 

Strange  as  it  may  seem,  we  had  not  the  smallest  misgiving 
or  anxiety  as  to  the  safety  of  our  young  children  left  there 
with  the  few  servants  of  our  usual  household ;  not  the  slightest 
ground  for  fearing  that  even  passing  strangers  might  try  to 
pilfer  some  of  the  property  in  our  tents.  The  English  were 
looked  upon  by  all  the  people  among  whom  we  were  as  friends, 
to  whom  everybody  alike  resorted  for  advice  or  aid,  and,  as  I 
'  have  before  said,  there  was  at  that  time  a  firm  belief  in  there 
being  the  strong  though  unseen  hand  of  British  power,  which 
would  sooner  or  latei:  lay  hold  of  wrong-doers  and  bring  them 
to  account.  Our  foreign  friends  did  not  understand  this ;  they 
marvelled  at  our  coturage  in  going  about  free]y  and  being  so 
much  at  our  ease.  They  used  occasionally  to  visit  us  in  our 
encampment  and  ask  ^if  we  were  not  afiraid,  not  even  at 
night,'  when  the  city  gates  were  shut  and  locked  for  the 
night,  and  when  help  (even  had  there  been  any  soldiers  or 

VOL.  I.  B  B 


370  BEWARD  OF  VIGILANCR  | 

I 

police  to  help)  conld  not  have  been  called.  The  tamth  vag  ^  | 
the  people  among  whom  we  lived  would  themselves  have  bea 
the  losers  had  any  harm  happened  to  us,  and  this  the;  ka^ 
follweU. 

They  were,  moreover,  greatly  the  gainers  by  having  vitlai 
reach  and  among  them,  in  the  Consul,  an  official  whoee  y^ 
residence,  and  opportunities  well  used,  gave  him  so  intrntttea 
knowledge  of  them  all,  and  whom  they  knew  by  experience  ts 
be  ever  the  ready  helper  of  the  oppressed.  By  this  theyfei 
great  gainers,  and  they  knew  that  well  also.  They  were  gU 
to  conciliate  our  friendship.  The  leaders  as  well  as  the  peopk 
among  the  various  peasant  fisictions  would  have  been  the  fiisttA 
find  out  anyone  who  might  have  attempted  to  do  us  bam. 

The  comfort  and  safety  which  we  thus  enjoyed  throogh 
prestige  of  the  British  influence  was,  however,  the  resoli  < 
years  of  patient  labour  on  the  part  of  the  British  authority 
from  the  Consul  himself  to  the  Ambassador  in  Constaniinopb 
and  the  chief  rulers  in  England.  During  those  years  uooeasu^ 
vigilance  had  been  exercised ;  no  single  case  needing  ledres 
had  been  neglected.  Sometimes  there  had  been  unavoidaiife 
delays  in  securing  the  triupph  of  justice,  but  when  it  did  com* 
the  effect  was  all  the  greater  in  the  punishment  of  a  wrong^i 
who  had  begun  to  hope  that  his  misdeeds  had  been  foigott^ 
or  in  the  unexpected  amends  made  to  some  victim  of  oppre^^ 
who  had  already  despaired  of  his  cause. 

It  is  only  during  times  of  stress  like  those  we  are  now  deecnb- 
ing  that  the  thoroughness  of  work  can  be  tested.  Happy  ^  ^* 
for  Palestine  that  there  was  in  existence  an  influence  capable* 
restraining  the  restlessness  and  the  disorder,  and  of  preventing 
a  wide-spread  outbreak  of  open  anarchy.  We  were  well  av»i* 
that  serious  disturbances  in  the  Holy  City  and  in  Palestine  wouM 
have  much  complicated  the  political  difficulties  of  the  day*  "^ 
disturbances  might  have  broken  out,  and  that  they  muBt  s(0 
have  become  serious,  the  present  narrative  abundantly  shows. 

When  we  returned  to  our  tents  on  that  Sunday  ^ 
noon,  a  native,  who  had  been  to  Bethlehem,  brougi*  ^ 


\ 


N 


VILLAGE  WAR  RESUMED.  371 

word  that  great  preparations  for  war  were  making  in  that 

place.     As  night  came  on  we  could  see  large  signal-fires 

at  the  south-western  village  of  Bait  Saf&fa  ;  we  could  hear 

tlie    shouts — sometimes  clearly  distinguishing  even  the 

voices — and  also  the  discharges  of  musketry,  which  were 

probably  challenges  of  defiance.     Early  in  the  morning 

came  the  tidings  of  more  troubles  at  Ain  Karem,  which  is 

also  a  Hhassaniyeh  village,  but  farther  -oflT — west  of  us, 

and  lying  on  the  confines  between  the  territories  of  Abu 

Gosh  and  OthraAn  el  Lahh^m.     These  two,  it  will  be 

remembered,  were  the  chiefe  of  the  hostile  districts.     I 

sent  word  of  what  was  going  on  to  the  Pashk  at.  the 

Seraglio— getting  the  message  spoken  through  the  closed 

city  gates,  by  my  man,  to  the  sentinels  on  duty. 

By  daybreak  in  the  morning  I  also  sent  off  a  mounted 
kawwfts  with  a  message  fi*om  myself  to  the  belligerents 
above-named,  reminding  them  that  the  Pashk's  truce  of 
August  4th  had  not  yet  expired,  and  that  I  should  neither 
forget  nor  forgive  these  doings  on  the  return  of  the  mili- 
tary force.    The  messenger  found    Othm&n  el  Lahh&m 
in  person  at  Malhha — another  of  the  villages  south-west 
of  us — where  the  factions  were  ranged  in  battle  against 
each  other.     Several  lives  had  been  lost  on  the  path 
between  that  village  and  Ain  Earem.    The  hills  were 
occupied  by  look-out  men  and  by  women  screaming  their 
war-cries  to  animate  the  combatants. 

The  Government  did  nothing  during  the  day;  and 
our  Bishop,  fearing  a  possible  descent  of  Othmfin  el 
Lahhfim  upon  Lifta,  had  suddenly  broken  up  his  family 
camp  near  that  place,  one  of  the  Abu  Gpsh  villages  on 
the  north-west  of  us.     I  rode  round  in  the  evening  to 

BBS 


372  NEWS  OP  THE  RUS8DUUf  WAR. 

the  spot,  and  found  it  in  possession  of  a  detachmeot  rf 
peasantry  fix>m  the  village,  posted  so  as  to  secure  tlMsr 
houses  from  a  surprise  during  the  coming  night 

After  dark  the  Bait  Safdfa  people  had  more  honfiro, 
and  the  yells  and  firing  of  signals  were  kept  up  at  is* 
tervals ;  not,  however,  as  mere  bravado,  for  (what  is  ex- 
tremely rare  in  village  warfare)  the  fighting  continuei 
through  the  night,  but  in  the  interest  of  both  parties.  TIk 
number  of  killed  was  not  published.  The  effect  of  all 
this  during  the  night  was  most  strange,  and  it  was  not  tk 
least  curious  part  of  the  whole  that  our  safety  was  in  do 
kind  of  danger  from  either  side.  Having  sent  the  kawwsf 
to  the  one  chief  in  the  morning,  I  commissioned  my  ^loe 
Consul,  Mr.  B(^ers,  who  was  about  starting  in  the  after- 
noon for  his  post  at  Caiffa,  and  who  was  to  stay  for  tbe 
night  at  the  village  capital  of  Abu  Gosh  (Kuriet  el  AuA 
situated,  as  every  traveller  knows,  in  the  pass  on  the  vsf 
to  Jaffa),  to  remonstrate  with  the  commander-in-^ihief  ^ 
the  enemy,  i.e.  Abu  Gbsh  himself. 

On  this  day  tidings  had  reached  us  from  Bayroo^ 
through  the  French  authorities,  that  fighting  had  begua 
in  Europe  between  the  Bussians  and  the  Turks. 

This  was  confirmed  by  M.  Botta  next  moraing,  0* 
4 ;  and  we  were  also  informed  that  M.  Basih,  the  Bus- 
sian  Consul-General,  was  ordered  away  by  the  Turkisli 
Musheer  (Governor-General),  and  that  engagements  m 
taken  place  between  the  outposts  on  the  Danube. 

We  sent  to  make  further  inquiries  of  the  Biissitf 

■ 

Archimandrite,  and  found  him  engaged  with  the  Aufltna^ 
Consul  talking  over  a  dangerous  conspiracy  that  i^ 
been  brought  to  light  in  Constantinople,  involving  ^ 


INTRIGUES  AND  PLOTS.  373 

Sultan's  brother,  Abdu  TAztz/  and  the  Shaikhu  THflin. 
The  report  was  that  the  former  of  these  had  been  put  in 
arrest,  and  that  the  Sultan  had  a  French  and  also  an 
EngUsh  steamer  in  readiness  for  carrying  off  himself  and 
his  femily  at  any  moment  if  necessary. 

There  were  not  wanting  significant  comments  among 
the  people  in  Jerusalem,  native  and  foreign,  as  to  the 
probable  causes  of  these  intrigues  and  plots.  Some, 
while  able  to  beUeve  in  the  possibility  of  attempts  such 
as  these  being  made  to  compUcate  matters,  considered 
that  the  present  account  *  merited  confirmation.' 

At  this  period  I  one  day  noticed  in  the  street  a 
Eussian  priest  escorting,  under  the  protection  of  his 
clerical  character,  a  Circassian  in  his  native  costume — 
a  magnificent  specimen  of  an  Asiatic  mountaineer.  It 
would  have  been  interesting  had  one  been  able  to  pene- 
trate to  the  inner  recesses  of  these  men's  minds  with  re- 
spect to  the  future. 

They  were  about  to  leave  the  Holy  City,  and  this  not 
of  free  choice ;  yet  it  could  only  be  that  the  priest  as  well 
as  our  Eussian  Archimandrite,  who  had  packed  up,  ready 
to  follow  at  a  moment's  notice,  were  looking  forward  to 
a  successful  crusade  of  the  orthodox  faith — one  which 
should  have  a  very  different  termination  to  that  waged 
by  the  Western  nations  of  old. 

We  read  afterwards  in  the  pubKc  journals,  as  reported 
by  their  correspondents,  that  in  the  march  of  Eussian 
armies  Southwards  the  men  at  their  nightly  halts  in- 

^  Abdu  1  Aziz^  the  late  Sultan^  whose  deposition  took  place  in  May  1876. 
In  1861  he  succeeded  the  Sultan  Ahdn  1  Mf^eed,  his  brother,  who  was 
reigning  at  the  time  of  our  narrative. 


374  THE  CHIEFS  ASK  MEDIATION. 

quired  of  the  peasantry  upon  whom  they  were  billeted 
how  far  they  still  were  from  Jerusalem!  thus  showii^ 
what  feeling  had  been  inculcated  in  their  minds  before 
commencing  the  march,  as  to  the  ultimate  objects  of  to 
war. 

The  warfare  nearer  at  hand  was  going  on  briskly. 
We  heard  a  great  deal  of  the  fighting  during  the  nigH 
and  learned  next  morning  that  many  lives  had  been  lost 

I  was  leaving  the  city  for  my  tent  on  the  afternoon 
of  the  6th,  when  I  was  accosted  by  ShMkh  Hhamdin,  of 
the  Ta'amra,  and  by  Mohammed  Abu  Dees,  of  the  same 
tribe.  They  dismounted  from  their  mares,  and  the  fonner 
came  to  inform  me  that  Othmfin  el  Tjahham  had  com- 
missioned him  to  say  to  me  that  the  war  had  lasted  long 
enough ;  that  it  was  time  to  desist,  since  the  wild  desert 
Arabs  were  coming  up  uninvited  as  auxiliaries  to  each 
side,  which  was  not  desirable ;  that  he  knew  me  to  be » 
friend  to  the  Dowlet  el  'Allyeh  (Sublime  Government)  and 
to  the  public  peace  in  general ;  therefore,  &c.,  &c. 

Unwilling  to  be  entrapped  as  a  partisan  or  even  ss  an 
arbitrator,  my  reply  was  merely  that  Othm&n  must  him- 
self write  to  the  Pashk,  for  that  I  would  do  nothing  but 
through  the  channel  of  the  Turkish  Government. 

What  was  done  I  know  not,  though  on  the  same  day 
I  visited  the  Pashk  for  friendly  conference  and  also  to 
congratulate  his  son  on  newly-acquired  honours.  But  ^^ 
had  heard  in  the  early  morning  the  peasantry  still  scream* 
ing  defiance  at  each  other ;  and  all  those  whom  we  met 
on  our  way  into  the  city  were  fully  armed. 

One  small  party  meeting  another  announced  ^ 
Abu  Gosh  had  taken  Ain  Karem  (about  four  miles  fro^ 


RETUBN  TO  TOWN  LIFE,  375 

our  camp).  It  was  probably  because  his  antagonist 
OthmSn  found  fortune  going  against  him  that  he  wished 
for  my  intervention  in  favour  of  peace. 

The  weather  was  still  bright,  with  dewy  nights ;  and 
it  was  with  reluctance  that  we,  being  now  the  last  party 
out  in  tents,  broke  up  our  camp  and  moved  into  town 
for  the  winter. 

The  contrast  was  odd  enough  between  events  passing 
outside  the  gates,  and  our  city  Kfe,  with  lite  round  of 
visits  to  the  Bishop  and  various  English  and  foreign 
friends,  including  the  customary  state  visit  in  uniform  at 
the  Prussian  Consulate  on  the  King's  birthday,  where 
our  old  friend  M.  Weber  held  the  reception  in  absence 
of  the  Consul,  and  where  the  Latin  Patriarch  and  other 
dignitaries  were  assembled.  Sir  Charles  O'Donnell  being 
with  us,  and  having  brought  the  latest  tidings,  the  war 
furnished  our  subjects  of  discourse  here  and  with  the 
Fashk,  the  Austrian  Consul  and  the  Armenian  Patriarch, 
and  at  our  other  visits,  the  last  of  which  was  in 
attendance  at  an  evening  reception  at  our  Bishop's  in 
honour  of  his  Prussian  Majesty's  birthday. 

We  also  called  upon  the  Greek  Bishop  and  the  Latin 
Patriarch.  The  Greeks  were  anxious  to  declare  them- 
selves faithfrd  subjects  of  the  Sultan  and  not  adherents  of 
Eussia. 

The  disturbed  state  of  the  country  did  not  prevent 
the  chief  of  another  Bedawy  tribe  from  the  East,  Shaikh 
Dee&b,  of  the  Adw&n,  from  visiting  me.  He  came  with 
two  of  his  people  to  arrange  for  the  escort  of  British  tra- 
vellers to  Jerash  and  the  Anmion  country,  on  the  eastern 
side  of  the  Jordan. 


S76  VISIT  OF  TRANS-JOBDAN  A&ABS. 

Hitherto  that  part  of  the  country  had  been  very  litde 
accessible  to  visitors,  and  our  Arab  friends  were  willing  to 
enter  into  a  treaty  for  the  safe  convoy  of  persons  willing 
to  pay  a  fixed  sum  in  return.  What  mattered  it  to  thea 
that  the  kings  of  the  earth  were  in  a  state  of  agitatioB- 
that  the  Sultan  and  the  Muscovite  Emperor  were  at  war? 

All  this  was  very  far  off;  but  English  travellers  wen 
known  to  the  wild  men,  and  they  were  prepared  to  nak^ 
them  welcome  as  guests  in  the  territory  over  which  tbey 
and  their  allies  roamed,  where  neither  Turkish  Goveiu- 
ment  nor  European  Powers  coidd  exercise  any  auAoiity' 
but  where  nevertheless  the  code  of  Arab  honour  guana* 
teed  perfect  safety  to  the  travellers  who  might  venture  to 
trust  themselves  to  it. 

There  was  no  one  in  Palestine  at  the  moment  desiwcs 
of  visiting  the  trans-Jordanic  r^on.  But  soon  after- 
wards I  took  Sir  Charles  O'Donnell  down  to  the  Pto  ^ 
Jericho  and  the  Dead  Sea. 

We  performed  the  journey  in  the  utmost  coinf«t. 
encamping  at  Elisha's  fountain,  enjoying  the  evening  ^* 
the  sword  dance  of  the  Arabs,  the  quiet  night,  breakfet 
by  moonlight  next  morning,  our  ride  to  the  Eiver  Jom 
and  to  the  Dead  Sea  ;  ^  returning  to  Jerusalem  over  tb 
hills  long  after  dark  in  the  evening, — all  this  without  anj 

^  My  companion  compared  the  Dead  Sea  to  Glendalooghi  in  'Wicfv'^' 
and  quoted — 

*  0  Qlendalough,  thy  gloomy  shore 
The  skyhirk  never  warbles  o'er.' 

But  he  confessed  that  it  was  of  monstrous  proportions  to  Glendalougr^'  ^^ 
story  of  St.  Kevin  and  Kathleen  (Moore's  Melodies)  can  scarcely  1»  P*^ 
leled ;  the  nearest  approach  to  it  is  that  of  the  Empress  Eudoxia  following"'^ 
hermit  to  his  retreat  near  Jericho,  at  the  Wady  Kelt   As  this  lady  was  conta* 


ARAB  AHMY  ON  THE  MAfiCH.  3*77 

Turkish  Guards,  accompanied  only  by  my  own  atten- 
dants and  by  a  few  Arabs,  as  if  there  were  no  such  thing 
as  war  or  fighting,  or  even  thieving,  in  the  world.  There 
were  only  too  much  of  aU  three — ^both  near  and  afar  off 
— ^yet  they  did  not  trouble  us. 

Hostilities  in  our  neighbourhood  were  certainly  not 
ended  yet,  for  in  about  a  week  afterwards  Sir  Charles 
O'Donnelland  I  were  riding  to  Bethlehem,  when,  half-way 
over  the  long  plain  (about  a  couple  of  miles  from  Jeru- 
salem), there  appeared  at  a  distance  to  our  right  a  body 
of  armed  peasantry  marching  in  the  direction  of  the  city. 
These  were  Hhassaniyeh  villagers  (of  the  Othm&n  el 
Lahh&m  faction),  making  a  circuit  to  avoid  the  chance 
of  being  encountered  by  the  enemy,  i.e.  the  M&likiyeh 
peasantry,  under  Abu  Gosh. 

We  kept  on  our  way — ^they  on  theirs — but  about  a 
mile  farther,  and  before  we  had  reached  the  Well  of  the 
Magi,^  on  the  road  at  the  southern  edge  of  the  plain,  not 
far  from  the  Convent  of  Mftr  Elias  (half-way  to  Bethle- 
hem), there  came  up  in  direct  front  the  enemy — i.e. 
the  Abu  Gosh  force — in  a  body  of  at  least  eight  hundred 
men,  half  of  them  mounted,  and  carrying  bright  polished 
spears.  They  were  formed  into  a  main  body,  and  had 
advanced  guard  and  flanks. 

to  found  a  cell  for  herself  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  Wady,  she  did  not  meet 
the  tragical  fate  of  poor  Kathleen. 

^  According  to  the  tradition  of  the  country  the  *  Wise  Men  of  the  East/ 
on  their  way  from  Eling  Herod  to  seek  for  *  the  new-bom  King '  at  Bethle- 
hem, halted  to  drink  at  this  well^  and  in  stooping  towards  the  water  they 
saw  in  it  the  reflection  of  the  star  which  had  guided  them  from  home,  but 
which  they  had  lost  sight  of  and  forgotten  since  leaving  Jerusalem.  On 
seeing  this  they  took  fresh  courage  and  '  rejoiced  with  exceeding  great  joy. 
The  well  is  known  by  the  Moslems  under  the  name  of  Kadisma  or  Yitbdt^ 


378  BETHL£fi[&M  OCCUPIED. 

This  was  a  joint  force  of  wild  desert  Arabs— T5ySliiL| 
from  the  south-west,  with  Ta*amra,  firom  the  DeadSeii 
district,  and  of  M&likiyeh  peasants — officered  by  Ta'asa 
Shaikhs  and  the  Abu  Gosh  leaders. 

I  gave  them  no  other  sign  of  recognition  than  a  sikil 
salutation,  though  the  chiefe  were  fsuniliar  acquaintance 
They  divided  to  the  right  and  left>  leaving  us  to  keg)  ik 
highway. 

This  was  a  remarkable  sight ;  and  it  was  well  that  i 
British  general  who  had  so  lately  been  with  the  annji* 
the  Danube  should  witness  the  actual  condition  of  ^ 
province.  What  if  the  peasant  warriors  of  the  other  m 
whom  we  had  but  lately  passed,  had  now  been  upon  ie 
road  or  even  in  view  ? 

This  little  army  was  evacuating  Bethlehem  (wlM^ 
we  were  going,  and  only  six  miles  from  Jerusalem),  ^ 
order  of  the  Pashk,  who  had  insisted  upon  a  truce ;  onlj 
instead  of  quitting  in  three  hours,  as  ordered,  the/  i* 
remained  three  days  assaulting  Bait  Jala  and  fighting* 
battle.  Meanwhile  Abu  Gk)sh  and  his  allies,  about  10 
strong,  had  occupied  Bethlehem  for  about  a  fortD^|' 
while  Othm&n  occupied  the  opposite  village  of  ^ 
Jala. 

We  had  heard  a  good  deal  about  the  wild  Arab  ^ 
in  Bethlehem,  and  how  the  flat-roofed  houses  had  been 
fortified  with  hastily  improvised  battlements,  and  o0 
were  some  of  these  Arabs.  Even  now.  though  no  loDg^ 
fighting,  instead  of  quietly  retiring  southwards  towar* 
Hebron,  these  desert  warriors  were  going  with  an  sir  ^ 
defiance  past  the  very  walls  of  Jerusalem  to  Ktiriet  el 
Anab  (on  the  road  to  Jafia,  the  cajntal  of  Abu  W 


I 


THE  CONVENTS  SHttT  UP.  S^9 

Tliose  allies  they  were,  and  under  whose  leadership  the 
vliole  force  acted). 

Yet  with  all  this  outward  bravado  the  orders  of  the 
Pashk  were  so  far  obeyed.  The  combatants  had  ceased 
to  fight,  and  were  drawing  off  their  forces.  Strange  the 
reverence  of  these  people  for  the  very  name  and  sem- 
blance of  government.  What  could  our  helpless  old 
Pashk  have  done  to  enforce  his  orders  had  the  people 
been  minded  to  disregard  them  ? 

We  rode. on  to  Bethlehem.  Just  before  entering 
the  town  we  saw  below  us,  at  some  distance,  the 
*  Shepherd's  Field  '  (the  Ekwftt),  still  fiill  of  the  Tiyfthah 
Bedaween,  amusing  themselves  with  galloping  over  the 
green  level. 

The  streets  of  the  town  were  full  of  people.  Arrived 
at  the  convent  we  had  to  enter  by  a  side  postern,  the 
main  gate  having  been  closed  for  three  days  past  for 
defence.  This  was  not  because  the  inmates  of  the  con- 
vent, Greek,  Latin,  or  Armenian,  were  concerned  in  the 
war,  but  for  safety.  It  would  not  have  been  prudent  to 
allow  the  entrance  of  the  wild  hordes,  who  wotdd  scarcely 
have  departed  (even  without  a  glimpse  of  the  rich  church 
plate  and  jewels  which  all  Orientals  know  to  be  in  the 
treasuries  of  the  various  sanctuaries),  imless  after  pay- 
ment to  them  of  heavy  ransom.  So  the  gate  was  shut, 
and  no  man  permitted  to  enter  unless  with  great  precau- 
tion and  after  careftil  scrutiny. 

We  stayed  some  time  conversing  with  the  President, 
newly  installed  in  office,  and  a  very  gentlemanly  monk  ; 
then  visited  the  sanctuaries ;  after  which  we  proceeded 
on  our  way  to  visit  the  British  subjects  living  on  the  farm 


380  URTAS  ALL  SAFE. 

at  Urtas,  which,  as  before  said,  lies  in  the  valley  south  of 
Bethlehem.  At  ten  minutes  beyond  Bethlehem  we  paused 
an  outpost  of  men  stationed  for  the  night,  commanding 
the  high  road.  The  Shaikh  of  TJrtas,  J4d  Allah,  hap- 
pened to  be  in  Bethlehem  (very  naturally,  when  such 
stirring  affairs  were  on  foot),  and  he  accompanied  us 
over  the  hills  to  his  valley.  He  informed  us  that  in  the 
action  above  mentioned  of  the  day  before  yesterday, 
fought  after  the  signing  of  the  truce  imposed  by  the 
Fashk,  Othm&n  el  Lahh&m  had  lost  one  man  and  two 
women,  besides  the  wounded.  The  alhes  had  lost  three 
men  and  two  mares  of  Arab  high  race.  It  was  calcu- 
lated that  above  a  thousand  bullets  must  have  been 
discharged  in  the  space  of  two  hours— so  said  our  in- 
formant. 

The  provisions  of  Bethlehem  had  been  devoured  by 
the  strangers,  so  that  the  convents  had  to  send  to  Jeru- 
salem for  bread.  The  Meshullam  &mily  in  Urtas  had 
had  no  bread  to  eat  for  three  days,  and  their  market 
vegetables  were  perishing  on  the  ground  for  want  of 
being  sold,  as  they  could  not  be  conveyed  to  the  city  or 
to  Bethlehem  as  usual. 

This  was  inconvenient,  but  it  did  not  last  long. 

The  strange  thing  to  my  companions'  mind  was  to  see 
this  Meshullam  family  quietly  living  in  the  lonely  valley, 
entirely  without  guards  of  any  kind,  among  the  few 
peasant  natives,  seemingly  so  secure  in  the  very  midst 
of  village  warfare  and  an  invasion  of  desert  Arabs.  There 
was  no  pretence  of  any  show  of  weapons  for  defence — 
scarce  a  lock  to  the  cottage  doors.  Yet  no  man  ven- 
tured to  molest  these  British  subjects  or  to  touch  so 


MDIKG  BY  DAY— WRITING  AT  NIGHT.  381 

much  as  a  green  leaf  of  the  vegetables  and  fruit  trees 
which  belonged  to  them. 

It  being  already  late  we  stayed  but  a  few  minutes  at 
Urtas  and  proceeded  up  the  VaUey  to  Solomon's  Pools, 
that  our  visitor  might  have  an  opportunity  of  seeing 
them.  It  was  sunset  when  our  horses'  heads  were  turned 
homewards. 

When  past  Eachel's  Sepulchre  we  saw  a  small  extem- 
porised fort  (Shunah)  alongside  the  high  road,  and  heard 
shots  and  warlike  cries  at  intervals  to  our  left.  Signal- 
fires  were  burning  at  Bait  Sahhoor,  on  our  right,  and  at 
Bait  Safdfa,  on  our  left.  Near  M&r  Elias  (night  had  now 
come  on)  my  kawwSs  pointed  out  a  spot  upon  the  road 
where  a  dozen  Hebronites  had  been  plundered  that  very 
morning. 

On  approaching  the  gates  of  Jerusalem  we  found  that 
several  friends,  who  had  taken  alarm  at  our  absence  so 
late,  were  mounting  at  the  gate  in  order  to  set  out  and 
look  for  us,  and  an  arrangement  had  been  made  that 
they  were  to  be  followed  after  an  interval  by  some  of 
the  Bashi-Bozuk,  in  case  of  their  not  speedily  returning 
with  us. 

As  this  narrative  has  shown,  we  had  on  leaving  home 
in  the  morning  but  httle  idea  of  the  state  of  affairs 
throughout  the  range  of  our  excursion.  And  yet,  if  I  did 
not  know  what  was  going  on,  who  did  ?  Certainly  not 
the  Government. 

There  was  an  Austrian  post  starting  next  day  (Sun- 
day), so  before  going  to  bed  I  sat  down  and  wrote  a 
report  to  Constantinople  of  the  present  condition  of  the 
district    The  chiefe  of  Tiyfihah  Bedaween  took  the  op- 


/ 


portunity  ol 
capital  on  t 
a  visit  of  CO 
HisExc 
allowed  the 
presents  of 
go  and  pluD 


383 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

QUIET  AMIDST  DISTURBANCES. 

Arrival  of  Troopa — ^Proclamation  of  the  War — ^Bobberies  near  the  Oity — 
Village  Fightings — ^Uneasiness  in  Nabloos  and  in  Jaffii — ^'Abderrahhm&n 
at  Hebron  Troublesome — ^Departure  of  the  Fashft— Petition  of  the  Mos- 
lems— Daily  life — Safety  of  the  English  Colony  and  Immunity  from 
Aunoyance. 

A  BATTALION  of  Turkish  troops  arrived  on  the  very  next 
day  (Sunday,  Oct.  28),  to  garrison  the  city.  It  consisted 
of  six  companies,  and  was  commanded  by  a  Bin-Bashi,  or 
Major.  We  had  heard  a  fortnight  before  that  the  invalids 
of  the  regiment .  had  landed  at  Jafia,  while  the  others 
were  marching  down  from  Aleppo.  Though  glad  enough 
to  hear  of  any  military  occupation  of  the  dty,  we  were 
nevertheless  dissatisfied  at  this  particular  corps  being 
destined  for  us,  seeing  that  it  was  the  one  which  had 
disgraced  itself  by  aiding  in  the  fanatic  massacre  of  Chris- 
tians at  Aleppo,  a  few  years  before.^  This  circumstance 
added  new  force  to  the  sinister  forebodings  of  the  poor 
frightened  native  Christians,  who  had  never  ceased  to 
expect  a  sudden  rising  of  the  Moslems  and  a  massacre  at 
least  as  soon  as  war  should  be  announced. 

However,  we  had  once  more  soldiers  in  the  barracks 

^  These  soldiers  gave  ns  yery  little  trouble ;  and^  as  the  nairatiTe  showsi 
there  never  was  a  rising  of  the  Moslems  against  the  Ohristians.  One  or  two 
cases  of  misconduct  on  the  pert  of  private  soldiers  received  prompt  punish- 
ment on  appeal  being  made  to  the  Oommnndant  for  redress, 


384  TROOPS  ARRIVED. 

and  sentinels  at  the  gates,  and  it  was  to  be  hoped 
would  now  be  some  control  exercised  over  the  peasBfay; 
that  the  Bedaween  would  retire  from  the  mountains  is2 
their  own  deserts.  It  was  wonderfid  that  all  had  Mto 
gpne  off  so  quietly  in  the  city.  Of  late  the  bazaars  d 
streets  of  Jerusalem  had  been  thronged  on  Fridays,  M. 
being  both  market  and  mosque  prayer  day,  brings  3b 
lems  in  from  all  the  country  round. 

The  crowds  had  consisted  not  merely  of  anned  pes- 
santry,  who  it  might  be  hoped  would  be  peaceable,  Js 
being  pretty  well  accustomed  to  intercourse  with  tte 
Christian  fellow-countrymen,  but  there  was  nioreovff 
the  unwonted  spectacle  to  be  seen  of  swarms  of  dese^ 
men,  with  spear  and  gun,  pushing  their  way  through  tie 
streets,  casting  longing  eyes  at  the  fruits  and  the  swe* 
and  the  wares  exposed  for  sale.  There  was  no  small  m 
that  some  slight  accident  might  provoke  a  quarrel  witfl 
some  of  these  haughty,  quick-tempered  gentry;  ^ 
where  then  would  the  fray  have  ended  ? 

We  were  not  sorry  to  see  sentinels  once  more  ga^' 
ing  the  city  gates,  and  to  observe  that  no  more  Bedawr 
Arabs  came  crowding  into  the  narrow  streets. 

On  October  25th  news  came  to  us  of  prodamalaoD » 
war  having  been  actually  made  by  the  Turkish  authon- 
ties  in  Bayroot,  and  that  all  Eussian  persons  (and  p^ 
perty),  till  their  departure,  were  placed  under  the  Austn^o 
Consulates  throughout  the  coimtry. 

.  Next  day  the  proclamation  was  made  in  our  street 
together  with  an  exhortation  to  all  to  keep  the  peace  i 
home.  Nothing  surprised  me  more  than  the  silence,  ^ 
Oriental  gravity,  with  which  the  proclamation  was^ 


WAR  ANNOUNCED  BY  CASTLE  GUNS.  385 

ceived  by  the  populace.  This  probably  arose  from  the 
feeling  that  the  actual  conflict  was  likely  to  be  kept  at 
some  distance,  and  that  the  two  greatest  Powers  of  those 
represented  at  Jerusalem  were  heartily  with  the  Sultan. 
The  presence  of  the  newly-arrived  troops  seemed  to  have 
some  moral  effect.  The  proclamation  had  been  purposely 
delayed  until  their  arrival.  No  disorders  were  attempted, 
and  so  far  well. 

Two  days  later,  on  the  28th,  being  Friday  (the  Mos- 
lem Sabbath  or  festival  day  of  the  week),  the  official 
Firm&n   declaring  war  was    read   in   Council   at    the 
Seraglio  previous  to  public  prayers  in  the  Hhar&m-esh- 
Shereef,  or  Noble  Sanctuary.  It  was  imderstood  that  this 
document  had  been  drawn  up  with  a  particular  view  to 
compose  the  minds  of  native  Christians  of  the  Greek  rite, 
and  in  order  to  commend  them  to  the  honourable  pro- 
tection of  all  faithful  Moslems,  as  loyal  subjects.     A 
salute  of  twenty-one  guns  was  then  fired  from  the  Castle. 
The  idea  was  circulated  among  the  people  that  the 
salute  was  made  on  account  of  a  Firm&n  having  arrived 
to  say  that  the  Sultan's  army  had  taken  a  number  of  castles 
in  the  Danubian  provinces ;  that  is  to  say,  on  account  of 
victory  gained  by  their  army  over  the  enemy.     This  idea 
was  carried  north,  south,  east,  and  west  as  far  as  the 
thunder  of  the  artillery  had  echoed  among  the  moun- 
tains and  valleys,  and  fell  upon  the  quick  ears  of  the 
peasantry,  or  Bedawy  Arabs,  telling  them  that  the  For- 
tress City  was  in  the  hands  of  the  Great  Padishah. 

It  was  commonly  said  that  the  Mufti  and  the  Shaikh 
of  Nebi  Daood  (chief  of  the  guardians  of  David's  Tomb) 

VOL.  I.  CO 


386  OUR  NEW  G0MMAIO)ANr. 

were  eagerly  employed  in  astrological  studies,  inqoii^ 
as  to  the  coming  events  according  to  planetary  influent 
etc.,  at  the  moment  of  war  being  proclaimed. 

After  the  public  prayers  I  visited  our  newmilitaT 
commander,  the  Bin-Bashi,  and  found  liim  to  be  a  n»ni 
energetic  sort  of  man  than  we  had  been  accustomed  ^; 
not  one  of  those  who  dawdle  about  the  streets  whsi  tk 
sun  is  not  too  hot,  with  shoes  down  at  heel,  followed  bj 
corporals  or  privates,  one  bearing  the  burden  of  his  p^ 
another  that  of  his  tobacco-bag. 

This  man's  well-worn  uniform,  and  the  &ded  ribboi 
from  which  hung  two  gold  medals,  bespoke  him  to  bei 
working  man  who  had  seen  some  true  service. 

The  arrival  of  the  troops  certainly  had  a  good  effa^ 
restoring  some  measure  of  confidence  within  the  dtj  ^ 
some  feeling  among  the  peasantry  that  the  Sublime  Go- 
vernment was  not  a  mere  name.  That  order  had  ^ 
yet  been  established  was  made  sufficiently  clear  by  ^ 
incidents  of  the  very  next  few  days. 

On  October  31st,  after  a  long  day's  writing,  I  ^ 
leaving  the  city  gate  for  our  evening  ride,  when  a  pe^csi 
stepped  forward  from  a  group  near  the  little  Customs  ofe 
and  drew  my  attention  to  a  young  man  who  had  i^ 
the  interpreter  of  the  Russian  Archimandrite.  I  was  toM 
that  he  had  been  not  long  before  on  that  day  robbed  W 
stripped  by  three  peasants  in  open  daylight,  just  below,  at 
the  large  upper  Pool  of  Mamilla,  within  sight  and  heaii^ 
of  townspeople,  and  had  to  walk  nearly  stark-naked  ^ 
to  the  city  gate,  where  some  clothes  were  provided  fo 
him.  The  same  day  there  had  also  been  a  robbery  of  * 
native  traveller  from  Damascus  by  four  horsemen  od  tl^ 


BOBBEBIEa  387 

Jafia  road,  at  no  greater  distance  from  Jerasalem  than  the 
other. 

Contmuing  my  ride  (my  children  were  with  me)  over 
the  Maid&n,  or  public  place  and  promenade,  now  occupied 
by  the  great  Eussian  buildings,  I  observed  that  most  of 
our  people  were  out  also.  The  Prussian  pastor,  Mr. 
Valentiner,  was  demonstrating  to  a  friend  his  interesting 
theory  (set  forth  in  papers  read  at  our  Literary  Society) 
as  to  the  site  of  the  Tower  of  BQppicus.  Others  were 
enjoying  the  bright  air  and  sunshine  in  various  ways, 
some  mounted,  some  on  foot ;  children  running  about. 
We  had  lately  had  an  arrival  from  Europe  of  a  missionary 
clergjrman  and  his  wife,  with  a  young  English  lady-assist- 
ant for  Miss  Cooper's  Jewish  school.  Our  community 
was  increasing  in  numbers,  and  here  was  now  almost 
everybody  belonging  to  our  congregation,  English,  Ger- 
man, and  others. 

As  the  sun  was  setting  all  our  people  walked  or  rode 
in  at  the  Jafia  gate.  I  was  coming  iq  last,  when  a  poor 
man  (Oriental)  with  a  monkey  and  a  drum,  and  driving 
a  donkey,  came  up  to  my  kawwds,  biu^sting  into  tears 
and  wringing  his  hands,  teUing  me  that  twenty  peasants 
had  just  before  fallen  upon  himself  and  his  son,  whom 
they  shot  dead,  and  made  ofi*  with  all  the  asses  that  had 
been  entrusted  to  his  care,  except  the  one  which  we  saw. 
On  hearing  this,  and  seeing  the  two  English  ladies 
who  were  mistresses  in  the  Bishop's  school  sauntering  in 
the  open  fields  by  twilight,  I  followed  them,  advising 
them  not  to  delay  afi;er  sunset,  but  return  to  the  city. 

In  town  I  sent  word  at  once  to  the  military  com- 
mander, calling  on  him  to  take  whatever  steps  might  be 

0  0  2 


388  RUSSIAN  DRAGOMANS  TALE. 

necessary.^  It  was  dear  that  something  must  be  done 
protection  of  people  and  for  the  repression  of  crime. 
repaired  early  in  the  next  day  to  our  poor  old  PteWi  to 
represent  the  outrages  of  yesterday  and  the  growii^  & 
orders,  and  was  present  by  his  desire  at  an  examioatiofici 
the  cases.  That  of  the  Bussian  dragoman  being  stdppei 
was  not  satisfactory ;  there  was  something  in  it  wind 
needed  explanation.  On  being  asked  whether  he  W 
laid  his  complaint  before  the  Austrian  Consul  he  saB  i^ 
was  not  worth  while  to  do  so !  And  yet  the  affairs  of  4^ 
Bussians  were  left  in  charge  of  the  Austrian  CodsiL 
We  were  not  satisfied  with  the  man's  story. 

About  noon  fifteen  more  robberies  were  reported  to 
me  as  having  occurred  within  an  hour,  particularly  <v 
of  some  Algerine  Jews  (French  subjects),  on  their  ^ 
from  Jaffa,  who  were  plundered  at  the  village  of  Kal6ni 
When  they  arrived  within  sight  of  Jerusalem  they  ^ 
the  son  of  Hhaj  Musta^Ei  Abu  Gosh.  Now,  Abu  GoA 
was  not  only  the  ruling  chief  of  that  district,  but  ^ 
actually  salaried  by  the  Turkish  Government  in  order  to 
ensure  the  Jaffa  road  being  kept  safe.-  (He  recei^ 
about  500/.  a  year  for  this  purpose.) 

*  The  reooxd  of  this  day's  events  closes  with  the  mention  of  am  1i>^ 
ohUged  to  sit  up  veiy  late  that  night  on  aoooimt  of  some  work  "^uch  I^ 
obliged  to  finish ;  my  husband  meanwhile  reading  to  me  a  part  o^^^ 
^  PhflDdon '  in  English,  and  conYersLng  over  the  views  which  Socn^  ^ 
about  the  world  to  come. 

It  is  worth  mentioning,  as  showing  the  kind  of  reereatioa  wlue^  ^ 
fireshed  him  most  after  the  cares  and  anxieties  of  the  day.  Up  early  e^ 
morning,  the  first  hour  or  two  was  devoted  to  his  Hebrew  and  Aiti^*^ 
Turkish  Bible.  The  day  was  one  of  incessant  labour,  with  oftes  «$xA 
time  for  even  a  hurried  meal,  or,  as  on  this  day,  a  few  minutes  for  ^f 
and  exercise.  Many  nights  were  taken  up  even  till  daydawn  with  olB^ 
writing ;  but  sometimes,  he  was  sufficientiy  at  leisure  to  get  some  reft^'^ 
above-mentioned. — Ebitob's  Noib. 


ABU  OOSH  SENT  FOR.  389 

The  poor  people  having  related  their  calamity  to  the 

young  Abu  Gosh,  he  promised  to  recover  what  they  had 

lost  for  a  douceur  of  400  piastres.    This  sum  they  gave 

him,  and  he  rode  off  laughing  at  their  simplicity.    Again 

I  visited  the  Pashk,  reminding  him  that  the  high  road 

must  be  kept  safe,  and  represented  that  Hhaj  Mustafa 

Abu  Gosh  should  be  at  once  sent  for  and  brought  into 

town  to  answer  for  his  conduct ;  that  this  should  be  done 

by  sending  royal  troops  to  fetch  him  if  necessary.    Well, 

promises  were  made  that  Abu  Gosh  should  be  in  town 

next  day.    The  Fashk  did  have  a  letter  written  to  the 

offender  asking  him  to  come  and  visit  him  on  the  morrow. 

And  what  next  ?  A  young  nephew  appeared  instead,  and 

he  was  told  orally  that  the  chief  '  ought  to  chastise  the 

offending  villages  alongside  the  road  and  have  the  losses 

restored  to  the  poor  travellers.' 

His  Excellency  the  Pashk  who  had  pronounced  this 
decision  then  implored  my  official  dragoman  to  leave,  for 
that  he,  being  eighty  years  old,  had  been  sitting  eight 
hours  in  council  on  business  of  this  kind.  Abu  Gosh 
did  not  appear,  neither  was  he  compelled  to  appear. 

Meanwhile  our  Bishop  had  sent  to  the  Consulate  to 
represent  that  persecutions  had  been  stirred  up  by  the 
Greeks  in  ITabloos.  The  Moslems  had  been  incited 
to  annoy  and  vex  the  native  Protestants  by  personal 
insults  and  by  illegal  augmentation  of  taxes.  I  des- 
patched my  chief  dragoman  to  Nabloos  to  inquire  and 
take  necessary  measures.  We  succeeded  in  getting  the 
needful  orders  from  the  Fashk  in  time  for  him  to  leave 
the  city  before  the  gates  closed.  He  was  to  sleep  in  a 
cottage  outside  the  city,  so  as  to  be  ready  to  start  by 


3dO  TttOUBLE  IN  MAfiLCX)a 

daybreak  next  morning.  After  five  days'  abeojceai 
Nabloos  my  dragoman  returned  with  so  saious  sb 
account  that  it  was  necessary  for  me  to  go  and  lay  tbe 
case  personally  before  the  Pashk.  The  poor  old  rm 
was  very  ill,  and  seemed  hardly  to  understand  what  ws 
being  said,  and  he  was  compelled  to  leave  us. 

The  distresses  of  the  Nabloos  Protestants  not  ban^ 
relieved,  I  soon  had  to  direct  the  Vice-Consul  of  Cai& 
to  repair  thither  to  make  inquiries  and  exercise  moal 
suasion  on  their  behalf.  This  Nabloos  is  notoriously  oo^ 
of  the  most  turbulent  and  fanatical  places  in  Syria.  I 
felt  sure  that  the  very  presence  of  an  English  officii 
would  have  some  beneficial  effect,  and  so  it  really  tumefl 
out,  for  in  a  very  short  time  the  schools  were  ^ 
attended  and  pubUc  worship  resumed.  The  sdm 
room  (used  also  for  a  chapel  on  Sundays)  and  its  fonfl- 
ture  were  the  property  of  the  Church  Missionary  Soa^i 
in  London,  and  therefore  entitled  to  protection  bytte 
Consulate  fix)m  being  injured  by  any  mob  or  otherwise. 

The  disturbances  in  the  Hhassaniyeh  viQages  soutfr 
west  were  meanwhile  still  rife,  and  at  last  the  FrencD 
Consul  succeeded  in  stirring  up  the  Pashk  to  do  some- 
thing. The  result  of  this  was  that  four  companies  of 
infantry,  with  some  Bashi-Bozuk  and  the  two  fie^ 
pieces,  left  the  city  for  the  village  of  Wellajeh,  in  ^ 
heart  of  the  south-west  district,  where  fighting  hd  so 
long  been  going  on. 

I  went  a  few  days  later  to  inspect  the  district,  an* 
on  crossing  over  from  St.  Philip's  fountain  ^  to  Wellajek  i 

^  The  place,  according  to  Latin  and  Armenian  traditions,  of  the  Up^ 
of  the  Ethiopian  treasurer. 


A  HOBBER  OF  WOMEN  PUNISHED.  891 

found  that  village  was  deserted,  except  that  people  were 
removing  as  much  as  possible  of  the  doors  and  rafters 
of  their  houses,  which  were  stiU  smouldering  and 
smoking  from  the  fires  that  had  been  lighted  to  destroy 
them. 

My  wife  and  I  watched  the  work  of  destruction  for 
some  time,  and  then  went  (accompanied,  of  course,  by 
my  kaww^)  over  the  hills,  by  the  ruggedest  of  tracks,  to 
Ain  Karem,  where  we  rested  in  the  ruined  Church  of 
Zachariah,  and  had  refreshments  brought  from  the  village 
and  listened  to  another  account  of  the  affairs  of  the 
district.  We  got  back  to  the  dty  just  before  gate- 
shutting. 

The  next  incident,  a  couple  of  days  later,  was  that 
a  wedding  party  of  peasant  women  were  robbed  of  their 
silver  ornaments  at  Mar  Girgis,  a  very  small  remnant  of 
a  Greek  convent,  opposite  to  and  ahnost  within  gunshot 
of  the  Jaffa  gate,  by  peasants  who  had  crept  behind  the 
wall  of  the  mulberry  plantation  there.  To  molest  women 
at  all  is  considered  so  heinous  an  offence  that  this  inci- 
dent showed  to  what  lengths  the  faction  rivalries  and 
fightings  were  leading  the  people.  However,  one  of  the 
thieves  was  caught,  and  was  thrashed  all  the  way  down 
to  the  Seraglio  by  a  stout  negro. 

The  French  Consul  sent  his  caneelUkre^  M.  Lequeux, 
to  inform  me  of  a  riot  at  Jaffa,  which  town  was  still 
destitute  of  any  garrison.  Some  of  the  Moslems  had 
broken  into  and  plundered  many  houses  of  the  Christians 
and  Jews,  and  the  French  Consul  desired  to  know  if  I 
would,  as  well  as  himself,  apply  to  the  Pashk  to  send 


S92  'abderrahhmAn  again. 

some  in&ntry  down  from  the  Castle  in  Jerusalem  to  Hsi  I 
important  town.    This  we  both  did  in  form. 

The  next  disturbances  were  at  Beereh,  on  the  noitl 
road,  about  three  hours  from  Jerusalem^  that  place  b^ 
assailed  by  Abu  Gtosh  and  by  his  ally  (at  present),  Dn 
Simhh&n,  and  the  Jericho  Arabs. 

We  in  Jerusalem  were  more  concerned  in  what  to 
going  on  at  Hebron.  Here  the  Governor,  'Abderrahli- 
m&n,  that  old  disturber  of  the  peace,  took  advantage  d 
the  weakness  of  the  Government  and  of  the  infirmities 
of  the  Fashk  He  began  to  levy  avanias  (ill^al  exao 
tions)  not  only  on  the  Jews  (to  him  a  never-ceasing 
source  of  gain),  but  likewise  upon  the  Mohammedan 
inhabitants  of  the  town  and  district  The  latter  kq^ 
me  informed  of  his  tyrannies  with  a  little  more  couiJ^ 
than  the  Jews  could  muster,  they  being  deterred  ^ 
fright  from  even  writing  to  me,  or  from  coming  to  Jeni- 
salem,  lest  the  spies  about  them  should  have  anythifig  to 
report  to  the  tyrant.^  He  actually  kept  his  name  on  the 
Jewish  books  containing  the  list  of  poor  entitled  to 
rehef  from  the  charitable  funds,  and  he  used  to  send  for 
payment  of  his  *  share '  three  days  before  the  time  wbei 
it  was  due. 

The  disorders  at  last  rose  to  such  a  pitch  thattk 
inhabitants  of  the  south-western  district,  in  the  Philistii^ 
Plain,  and  of  Gaza  addressed  a  petition  to  His  Excellei^ 
Wamek  Pashk,  Governor-General  of  Syria  in  Bayroo^ 
The  petitioners  were,  of  course,  Moslems,  and  they  set 
forth  the  wrongs  and  grievances  endured  by  the  unfo^' 

^  Id  ipsum  juventos  quod  timuissent. — Tacitus. 


THE  pashX's  FOLLOWEBS.  393 

tunate  people  within  the  Jerusalem  Pashklic  governed 
by  Hh&fiz  Pashk. 

.The  very  rusticity  of  the  style  and  the  names  given 
in  it  give  character  to  this  document,  which  is  an  un 
commonly  curious  one.     I  append  it  in  full. 

In  it  are  set  forth  the  causes  of  the  unwonted  dis- 
turbances of  the  past  season. 

Our  old  Pashk,  feeble  and'  infirm  as  he  was,  and  per- 
sonally very  much  to  be  pitied  for  having  the  burden 
and  charge  of  office  to  support  at  his  great  age,  and  in 
iU-health,  had  been  governing  the  country  by  means  of  the 
well-known  principle  in  Turkish  rule  already  described, 
'  Divide  et  impera.'  Without  troops,  without  strength  of 
any  kind,  how  else  was  he  to  govern  the  country  at  all  ? 
•  There  is  one  great  advantage  to  the  rulers  themselves 
in  carrying  out  this  principle,  especially  if  they  are  in 
need  of  money  or  of  any  other  good :  both  parties  will 
bid  for  favour  and  countenance — ^both  will  bid  and  bribe 
for  influence  that  may  turn  the  scale  against  the  rival, 
whether  it  be  suitor  at  law,  district  chief,  foreign  govern-* 
ment,  or  rival  church. 

Hhd£z  Pashk,  moreover,  being  too  old  to  be  capable 
of  any  personal  exertion,  was  completely  in  the  hands 
of  a  knot  of  his  own  creatures — his  treasurer,  his  secre- 
tary, &c. — ^who  are  repeatedly  mentioned  in  the  petition 
here  given.  These  were  hangers-on  who  had  come  into 
the  country  with  him,  and  who  had  still  their  fortunes  to 
make,  still  their  own  way  to  push  upwards  to  office  and 
its  opportunities  for  golden  harvests. 

They  foimd  a  congenial  character  in  the  man  whom 
we  have  already  described,  Khaleel  Aga  er-Eess4s,  chief 


394  MI80BIEP  SUBBED  tP. 

of  the  police.  This  man  was  the  terror  of  the  dty  abd  d 
the  country.  He  knew  everybody  and  everybody  het 
him.  We  find  him  mentioned  in  the  petition  as  havii^ 
stirred  up  dissensions  among  the  peasant  factions,  not  (nlj 
in  the  districts  under  Abu  Gosh  and  Othman  el  LaUioi, 
of  which  so  much  has  been  said  in  the  foregoing  narratiifie, 
but  also  between  the  members  of  the  Simhhdn  &mily,  OQ 
the  north-west,  and  at  Bait  Jibreen,  on  the  edge  of  ^ 
Philistine  country.  No  more  fitting  tool  could  have  be© 
found  than  this  E^haleel  Aga  er-BessSs,  if  mischief  was  to 
be  stirred  up  and  money  extracted  firom  the  people  aH 
round    But  who  employed  him  ? 

Hence  the  fightings  north,  south,  east,  and  west  of 
us,  and  the  ugly  Ust  of  so  many  sums  of  piastres  delivered 
to  the  Fashk's  agents. 

Hence  also  the  incursions  of  the  wild  Arabs — ^invit^ 
by  both  sides  as  allies — encouraged  by  the  *  treasurer '  d 
the  Pashk ;  fed,  entertained,  given  new  garments,  and 
significantly  styled  '  My  Arabs.'  Can  anything  be  more 
piteous  than  the  passage  in  which  the  poor  victims  of 
spoliation  tell  the  Governor-General  that  they  *camiot 
tell  the  meaning  of  this  friendship '  between  the  Paahi s 
treasurer  and  the  wild  folk  ? — *  what  he  has  received  tom 
them  or  what  he  has  given  them  we  cannot  tell.*  B  ^ 
easy  to  guess  what  he  must  have  received ;  and  as  for 
what  he  gave,  licence  to  plunder  the  peasantry  was  aD 
they  desired,  and  that  they  got,  instead  of  stem  repres- 
sion within  their  desert  territory. 

We  find  the  chief  of  police  employed  to  drive  away 
and  silence  the  complainants  from  Nabloos,  who,  when 
they  came  600  in  number  to  represent   the  gross  wr 


Wrongs  and  gbievanges.  3d5 

justice  they  had  suffered,  found  that  their  oppressor  had 
been  beforehand  with  them,  and  had  by  bribes  ensured 
that  they  should  be  refused  a  hearing.  In  their  exaspe- 
ration and  despair  some  of  them  climbed  the  minarets 
whence  the  hours  for  prayer  are  announced  by  the 
Muezzin,  and  there  they  cried  aloud  and  proclaimed 
over  the  city  the  oppression  under  which  they,  true 
Moslem  subjects  of  the  Sultan,  now  suffered,  till  Hh&fiz 
Pashk  sent  the  chief  of  the  police  to  beat  them  and  drive 
them  away  from  the  dty,  saying,  *You  are  all  in  the 
wrong  I ' 

As  for  the  history  of  the  additional  irregular  horse 
raised  by  orders  of  the  Governor-General,  as  some  sort 
of  military  force  for  protection  of  the  country — ^the  way 
in  which  the  commands  of  companies  of  forty  or  fifty 
were  sold  to  the  highest  bidder,  and  the  pay  of  the  men 
was  kept  back  to  be  spent  in  bribes — aU  this  waa  not 
new.  Yet  never  were  bribery  and  corruption  of  every 
kind  so  rampant,  so  shameless  as  in  the  days  of  Hh&fiz 
Fashik. 

Unhappy  old  Hh4fiz  Pashk  at  last  left  us  for  good — 
certainly  for  our  good — on  December  17, 1853,  carried 
down  in  a  palanquin  to  Jaffa,  on  his  way  to  Constanti- 
nople. He  left  us  under  a  salvo  of  sixteen  guns  from 
the  Castle.  During  the  operation  of  firing  one  of  the 
artiUerymen  had  his  arm  diot  off,  through  the  ignorance 
of  his  comrade  about  stopping  the  vent  after  the  gun  had 
been  discharged  and  before  reloading. 

This  was  the  last  calamity  that  occurred  at  Jerusalem 
under  his  Excellency  the  Musheer  Hh&fiz  Fashk. 


396         PETtriON  TO  THE  GOVEBNOR  OERBKAXi. 


Translation  of  Petition  to  H.E.  Wamek  Pa^ha  WaU 

of  Saida^  &c. 

EXOBLLENOY, 

We,  your  petitioners,  beg  to  bring  to  your  'ExceJleDcfB 
notice  the  following  circumstances. 

When  your  Excellency  first  honoured  our  country  in& 
your  illustrious  presence,  Jerusalem  and  its  dependencies  mst 
in  perfect  rest  and  tranquillity,  by  reason  of  the  due  ezeciitio& 
of  justice,  which  was  always  attended  to  for  the  benefit  of  the 
exalted  (Government. 

We  wish  to  draw  your  Excellency's  attention  to  tiie  trouhlK 
which  are  now  existing  amongst  all  the  subjects  of  His  Ma- 
jesty the  Padishah, 

The  villages  of  Graza  are  utterly  ruined  on  account  of  ^ 
plundering  of  the  Arabs,  and  no  one  has  been  able  to  keq> 
them  back  from  doing  so.    The  reason  is  as  follows : — 

By  means  of  Adham  Effendi,  the  treasurer  of  H.E.  Hhafis 
Pasha,  these  Arabs,  whether  Shaikhs  or  even  mere  ehepherdsi 
frequently  visit  his  Excellency,  who  receives  them  with  peaied 
freedom,  and  gives  them  entire  liberty  to  be  seated  iu  his  pre- 
sence ;  pipes  and  coffee  are  served  to  every  one  of  them, 
besides  that  during  their  stay  he  provides  them  with  food, 
and  before  their  departure  he  makes  them  presents  of  nev 
dresses. 

Having  such  indulgences,  no  sooner  do  they  come  to  the 
villages  above  mentioned  than  plundering  ensues ;  and  if  any 
of  the  Bashi-Bozuk  officers  go  [i.6.  are  sent  by  Government]  to 
prevent  such  bad  proceedings,  they  take  no  heed  [of  them],  and 
that  for  the  above  reason. 

The  cause  of  all  these  things  is  Adham  Effendi,  who  styles 
them  ^  My  Arabs.'  We  cannot  tell  the  meaning  of  this  friend- 
ship ;  what  he  bias  received  from  them  or  what  he  has  gives 
them  we  cannot  tell. 

We  are  sure  that  the  losses  and  damages  which  have  oc- 
curred to  the  villages  of  G-aza  within  the  last  two  years — i^ 
within  the  appointment  of  H.E.  Hhafiz  Pashd.  to  this  country— 


PETITION  TO  THE  GOVEKNOR  GENERAL.  397 

amountB  to  ten  thousand  purses,^  and  this  we  are  ready  to  show 
when  your  Excellency's  command  shall  arrive  summoning  us 
to  appear  before  your  Excellency.  If  your  Excellency  desires 
it,  inquiries  to  this  effect  may  be  made  from  Mustafa  Bek 
es-Saeed. 

Now,  your  Excellency  being  Musheer  in  these  lands  in 
order  to  distinguish  right  from  wrong,  God  forbid  that  your 
slaves  should  have  to  suffer  hardships  and  troubles,  because,  as 
we  have  already  mentioned,  on  your  first  arrival  we  were  in 
perfect  ease  and  safety,  as  your  Excellency  well  knows. 

Your  petitioners  now  wish  to  bring  to  notice  the  affairs  of 
the  Jerusalem  district. 

Moosa  el  Ahhmad  has  been  made  by  the  Mejlis  [Council] 
to  pay  down  90,000  piastres. 

Ibrahim  Abd  er-Rezek  and  Jehhya  el  Ma'aroof  have  both 
paid  10,000  piastres. 

Also  after  the  arrival  of  the  Mushirial  order  to  Hh§£z  Pash& 
to  replace  the  Sadek  family  in  their  villages  near  Nabloos, 
Hashem  Effendi,  the  secretary  of  Hhafiz  Pash^  delayed  to  obey 
till  he  had  received  from  them  40,000  piastres,  after  which,  on 
Sunday  last,  they  were  reinstated  by  Musta&  Aga  the  Bosnian, 
a  well-known  and  able  officer  of  the  Bashi-Bozuk  soldiery. 

No  doubt  it  has  reached  your  Excellency's  knowledge  that 
it  was  Kasem  el  Ahhmad  who  devastated  the  country  of  Sadek 
and  banished  that  &mily  from  it,  after  which,  in  order  to  silence 
the  members  of  the  Mejlis  [Council]  and  Hashem  Effendi,  he 
sent  100,000  piastres  through  Ehaleel  Effendi  el  Afeefi.  The 
Sadek  people,  600  in  number,  came  to  Jerusalem  to  make  their 
complaint,  but  no  one  would  hear  them ;  then  they  felt  obliged 
to  go  up  to  the  highest  minaret  in  the  city  and  cry  out,  ^  Per- 
secuted I  persecuted ! '  on  which  H.  E.  Hhafiz  Psabd,  ordered 
Khaleel  er-Bessas,  the  Chief  of  the  Police,  to  beat  them,  and 
drive  them  away  from  the  city — saying,  *  You  are  all  in  the 
wrong!' 

Consider  and  behold,  then,  0  Excellency,  this  persecution 
wMch  is  a  teproach  on  the  Sublime  Porte,  which  desires  only 

^  Equal  to  4^^000^.    100  piastres  were  equal  to  nearly  1/.  sterling. 


898         PETmON  TO  THE  OOVERXOR  GENERAL. 

justice,  and  to  distixigaiBh  between  the  persecutor  aai  tkt 
perseouted. 

As  for  Hhussain  Ibm  Simhh&n,  when  he  arrived  here  bel^ 
ing  your  Excellency's  command  to  H.  E.  Hhafiz  Pasltt,  de 
Divan  Effendi  asked  of  him  10,000  piastres  and  took  thv. 
After  that  he  sowed  dissensions  between  him  and  his  oooii 
'Abdu  1  Lateef,  by  means  of  Khaleel  er-Ressas  [Chief  of  tk 
PoUce]. 

Up  to  this  moment  we  have  no  peace  reigning  among  tho. 
but  they  have  been  killing  the  fiEtctions  on  each  side  d 
plundering  each  other.  Several  times  they  have  both  beea  to 
H.  E.  Hh&fi2  Pash&.  G-od  preserve  him,  and  increase  tiie  lib 
untahiox  for  making  a  ■J^H.UmftTif^  between  themi  buthe(U 
not  know  how. 

As  for  Abu  Gosh  and  Othman  el  Lahham,  until  now  th? 
have  keen  killing  on  each  side ;  about  thirty  have  been  IM 
for  the  reason  that  H.  E.  Hh&fiz  Pasha  displaced  the  Shaikh  (J 
'Ain  Karem,  but  his  Div&n  Effendi  wished  to  replace  him  fort 
consideration  of  2,500  piastres,  i.6.,  1>500  for  himself,  and  \ff^ 
to  Khaleel  er-Ressas.  This  is  the  foundation  of  the  hostilities 
between  Abu  Gosh  and  Othm&n  el  Lahh&m :  by  these  meatf 
villages  have  been  ruined,  property  plundered,  and  the  Up 
roads  become  unsafe,  for  robberies  are  conmiitted  even  beneiA 
the  walls  of  Jerusalem.  Moreover,  between  the  villa^  « 
Latroon  and  Kub&b,  on  the  Jaffa  road,  forty  Jews  and  d^i 
tians  have  been  robbed,  yet  H.  K  Hhafiz  Pashi  has  dom  ^- 
solutely  nothing. 

As  for  Muslehh  el  Azizi  [Shaikh  of  Bait  Jibreen],  Adbtft 
Effendi  and  Khaleel  er-Ressas  have  sown  dissensions  betweel 
him  and  his  cousin  Neajeh,  so  that  from  the  latter  M 
accepted  a  horse  and  3,000  piastres;  the  liorse  is  still vii 
Adham  Effendi. 

A  short  time  since  an  order  came  from  your  Ezcelleney 
200  additional  horses  should  be  added  to  the  irregular  soldi^ 
for  protection  of  the  country. 

By  the  Eternal  God  and  by  your  blessed  head,  HaA' 


PETITION  TO  THE  GOVERNOR  GENERAL.  399 

Effendi  and  Adham  Sffendi,  by  means  of  Ehalec^l  er^RessaSy  have 
sold  the  appointments  to  them  for  money  I 

A  command  of  fifty  they  gave  to  Abu  Hhawaij,  for  which 
they  received  300  gazis  (a  gold  coin  worth  abont  4«.) :  his  son 
by  night  delivered  them  to  Divan  Effendi  in  his  house.  Ismail 
Aga  Abu  Tabanjah  had  given  him  50  horsemen  for  250  gazis, 
which  were  delivered  to  Divan  Effendi,  and  Ahhmed  Aga 
Berbar  had  allotted  to  him  50  hortaemen,  for  which  he  paid 
down  300  gazis  to  Adham  Effendi  the  treasurer. 

Hhussain  Aga  the  ex-governor  of  Ramlah  has  plundered 
that  district ;  his  owa  share  amounted  to  50,000  piastres.  If 
Your  Excellency  desires  to  have  particulars  of  this,  enquiries 
may  be  made  of  Hhasan  Effendi  'Abdu'1-Hadi,  living  in  Ram- 
lah. 

Again  all  the  briberies  which  the  officers  of  the  Bashi- 
Bozuk  have  made  to  the  above-mentioned  individuals  have 
been  deducted  from  the  pay  of  their  poor  soldiers.  When 
enquiries  will  be  made  respecting  this  and  the  officers  deny 
it,  then  the  soldiers  will  be  ready  to  declare  and  prove  it. 

And  now,  if  Your  Excellency  desire  the  complete  rest  and 
tranquillity  of  His  Majesty's  subjects,  let  it  please  you  to  send 
an  order  summoning  the  following  persons  before  Your  Ex- 
cellency : — 

Mustafisi  Aga  Kara  Bairakd&r. 

Musta&  Aga  the  Bosnian. 

Durweesh  Aga. 

Moosa  el  Ahhmad,  ibn  es  Sadek. 

Ibrahim  'Abd  er  Rez&k  of  Abu  Zaid. 

Hhusain  es  Simhhan. 

'Abdhul-Lateef  es-Simhh&n. 

Mustafa  Abu  G-osh. 

'Othman  el  Lahham. 

Muslehh  el  Azizi. 

Odeh  Ibn  Ateeyeh. 

Shaikh  Ayash  el  Wahhad. 

And  these  slaves  of  your  Gt)vemment,^  when  they  appear  in 

1  The  title  of  a  Musheer  is '  Your  Qoverament? 


400  DAILY  LIFE  AT  THE  CONSULATE. 

the  noble  Divftn  [Council J  of  your  Excellency,  ^iH  dedaie  tk 
truth  doubly  over  and  above  what  is  here  mentioned. 

And  now  whereas  the  Sublime  Crovernment  (may  God  9^ 
lish  the  throne  of  her '  successors  to  the  end  of  the  wdd!] 
desires  only  justice^  we  have  no  means  of  redress  or  helper  k 
the  truth  but  in  her  officers  and  noble  Wazeers,  paiticdsd? 
your  merciful  Government  who  cannot  desire  this  persecntisB. 

Have  mercy  on  those  who  are  upon  earth,  so  that  ikm  b 
heaven  may  have  mercy  on  you ;  give  us  the  hand  of  helpai 
deliver  us ! 

EDITOR'S  NOTE. 

The  sketch  which  this  narrative  gives  of  the  conditi(si€i 
the  Holy  Land,  and  more  especially  of  Jerusalem  a&d  iti 
neighbourhood,  would  scarcely  be  complete  without  some  notke 
of  the  daily  life  we  led,  and  which  my  husband  had  omtixi, 
doubtless  on  the  ground  that  this  was  not  intended  to  be  a  p 
Bonal  history  of  himself  or  even  of  his  own  official  life.  W 
this  daily  life  was  influenced  by  the  state  of  things  arotmdis, 
and  was  not  without  its  own  influence  in  return  apon  tk 
people  among  whom  we  lived.  Allusion  has  already  been  ina<fc 
to  the  absolute  immunity  from  annoyance  which  the  Engli^ 
colony  enjoyed.  Some  idea  has  been  given  incidentally  of  ^ 
freedom  which  was  enjoyed — of  the  daily  walks  and  rite 
the  going  and  coming,  and  business  carried  on,  as  if  there  ^ 
no  disturbances  in  the  country. 

The  journals  written  at  the  time  are  full  of  allusions  to  the* 
little  incidents — ^to  the  rambles  in  the  fields  *  gathering  J^ 
crocuses,'  or  other  flowers — to  the  rides  and  walks  over  the  Beth- 
lehem plain — to  the  spoils  brought  in  from  shooting  expeditioi^ 
— to  the  strolls  outside  the  gates  and  in  the  Western  vaB? 
just  before  sunset — to  the  early  morning  walks  before  break* 
fast — and  in  all  these  the  young  children  took  their  full  siare. 

All  these  rides  and  walks,  and  still  longer  excursions  in  tb^ 
Southern  district,  were  made  in  perfect  safety  and  comfort,  o^ 

>  '  Qovemment'  is  a  feminine  noim  in  AiaUe, 


SOCIAL  EVENINGS.  401 

man  so  much  as  uttering  one  uncivil  expression  by  the  way- 
side, or  seeking  to  molest  our  party  on  the  homeward  road  after 
dark  in  the  evening. 

Not  even  when  the  Consul  was  riding  quite  alone,  as  he 
sometimes  was  obliged  to  do,  if  business  required  his  Kawwases 
to  be  sent  elsewhere — not  even  then  was  there  anything  but 
the  utmost  civility  and  respect  shown  by  all  whom  he  met. 

In  the  city  there  was  at  this  time  a  good  deal  of  sociable 
intercourse  among  the  European  residents,  and  the  Journal 
contains  frequent  mention  of  the  interchange  of  friendly  visits, 
as  also  of  evening  gatherings  at  the  Consulate  and  the  houses 
of  the  other  Europeans,  besides  meetings  for  the  purpose  of 
studying  Hebrew,  Arabic,  German,  and  modern  Grreek ;  also 
for  the  practice  of  music  for  our  Church  services,  and  attend- 
ance at  Bible  readings  in  the  Bishop's  house,  anniversary  cele- 
brations at  the  schools,  or  mission  institutions,  or  the  house  of 
the  Eev.  J.  Nicolayson. 

The  meetings  of  the  Jerusalem  Literary  Society  were  held 
weekly  at  the  Consulate  for  discussion  of  all  topics  that  could 
serve  to  illustrate  Biblical  history  or  topography,  or  natural 
history. 

At  the  opening  meeting  in  the  spring  of  this  year  there  had 
been  fifty  persons  invited,  and  among  those  who  actually  attended 
were  three  Prussians,  two  Danes,  one^Swede,  one  Bavarian,  besides 
travellers,  and  now  the  weekly  meetings  were  resumed  for  the 
winter  season,  and  afforded  opportunities  for  pleasant  inter- 
course and  exchange  of  ideas  upon  the  varied  subjects  of 
interest  connected  with  the  Bible  and  with  the  Holy  Land. 

Friendly  intercourse  was  also  kept  up  with  the  chiefs  of  the 
various  religious  institutions,  the  Latin,  Greek,  and  Armenian 
Patriarchs,  with  the  convents,  with  the  Syrian,  Coptic,  and 
Abyssinian  communities,  and  with  the  Jewish  Sabbis. 

The  Greek  printing  press  was  now  at  work  in  the  Convent 
of  St.  Michael,  and  the  family  who  were  in  charge  were  an  in- 
teresting addition  to  the  society  in  Jerusalem.  Their  intelligence 
and  courteous  manner  made  a  visit  to  the  printing  works  a 
most  pleasant  relaxation.  It  was  curious  to  visit  this  family 
VOL.  L  D  D 


402  SERVICES  AT  CHRISTCHURCIL 

and  to  listen  to  the  parents  conversing  in  mellifluent  Gni 
with  their  sons  and  daughtexs,  calling  them  hy  gadmaiKSfe 
Leonidas,  Themistocles,  and  Cleopatra.  One  could  notke^ 
hoping  that  the  day  might  he  near  at  hand  when  boob  i 
general  literature,  for  old  and  young,  might  issue  from  this  pRi 
as  well  as  religious  works. 

The  English  printing  press  had  been  for  many  years  is  ttt 
possession  of  the  Jewish  Mission,  a  gift  from  some  benebctif 
to  the  Holy  City.  Possibly  the  feet  that  the  Ghreek  Coow* 
had  set  theirs  to  work  might  prove  to  our  own  people  o 
incentive  to  setting  Jewish  Converts  to  work  in  similar  b^ 
at  least  we  hoped  this  might  be  one  good  result  in  store. 

To  return  to  our  narrative  and  to  the  subject  of  the  cbori 
and  the  various  services  carried  on  regularly  at  the  period  w 
which  this  history  refers,  and  of  which  the  Journals  written  «1 
the  time  contain  so  many  interesting  details. 

Christians  of  all  the  various  churches  were  constantly  ii 
the  habit  of  coming  to  watch,  even  though  they  might  not  l» 
able  to  understand,  what  was  going  on.  The  heartiness  of  tie 
responses,  and  the  singing  of  the  whole  congregration  al^.^ 
took  them  by  surprise.  Grreat  interest  was  expressed  in  tbf 
Episcopal  form  of  our  Church,  and  in  our  Liturgy.  One  Maloff 
English  member  of  our  congregation  chose  a  seat  near  Die 
door  of  the  church,  where  he  might  be  at  hand  to  give  s  (Xff! 
of  the  Prayer-book  in  the  proper  Eastern  or  Western  t»ng»» 
to  whoever  looked  likely  to  be  able  to  read  it>  and  for  tte 
purpose  he  had  a  pile  of  books  in  various  languages  ready  1)! 
his  side.  They  were  always  gratefully  received,  and  aometijo^ 
read,  not  only  during  the  prayers,  but  during  the  sermon  aL* 
Not  only  Christians,  but  Turkish  soldiers  have  sometimes  si 
there  reading  our  Arabic  Prayer-book,  if  they  happened  to 
understand  that  language. 

When  their  local  dissensions  and  their  grievances  agaiB^ 
the  Turkish  authorities  brought  some  of  the  principal  natiw 
Moslems  from  Nabloos  to  Jerusalem,  several  parties  of  theffl 
visited  our  church,  and  expressed  their  satisfaction  at  finding 
in  it  neither    pictures  nor  images.      Indeed  they  stronpj 


( 


VARIOUS  NATIONS  AND  LANGUAGES.  403 

denied  that  it  could  be  a  '  Church '  (Keueeseh),  and  said  it  was 
a  Mesjid, '  place  of  worship,'  and  even  of  ^  true  worship.'  They 
approved  of  the  Ten  Commandments  and  of  the  Lord's  Prayer 
(inscribed  in  Hebrew)  at  the  Communion  Table.  Perhaps  it 
was  from  a  motive  of  politeness  that  they  declined  to  hear 
(when  the  offer  was  made  to  them)  the  contents  of  the  other 
tablet,  namely  the  Apostles'  Creed. 

The  Christmas  services  this  year  in  our  Church  were  pecu- 
liarly interesting.  First,  there  was  the  early  Arabic  service 
fully  attended.  Then  followed  the  10  o'clock  English  service,  in 
the  course  of  which  was  celebrated  the  baptism  of  a  Sephardi 
Jewess,  the  married  daughter  of  one  of  the  converts  ;  this  was 
conducted  in  the  Judseo-^panish. 

The  Holy  Communion  was  attended  by  many,  and  five 
languages  were  used  fpr  the  various  communicants,  i.e.  Eng- 
lish, Grerman,  Judseo-Spanish,  Arabic,  and  Hebrew.    Not  a  few 
converted  Israelites  were  gathered  together  for  this  highest  act 
of  Christian  worship,  and  among  the  others  we  saw  led  up  the 
aisle  a  Christian  Bethlehemite  named  Yusuf,  a  very  old  man, 
quite  blind  and  white-bearded.     We  afterwards  learned  that 
this  poor  man,  for  such  he  was,  remembered  the  circumstance 
of  Sir  Sidney  Smith,  with  his  marines  planting  the  British  flag 
over  the  Convent  at  Bethlehem  in  protection  of  the  Christians 
at  the  time  of  the  invasion  by  the  French  under  Napoleon 
Buonaparte. 

At  the  early  Hebrew  service  of  the  two  following  days,  the 
Ante-communion  service  was  read  as  well  as  the  morning  prayers, 
and  the  converts  sang  in  Hebrew  the  anthem, '  For  unto  us  a 
Son  is  bom,'  to  music  composed  by  the  lady  who  played  the 
organ  (who  is  since  dead),  and  whom  we  had  heard  long  before 
daylight  (the  Consulate  house  adjoined  the  church)  practising 
the  music. 

I  may  perhaps  be  excused  if  I  add  here  one  or  two  extracts 
from  Journals  describing  my  husband's  Sunday  afternoon  walks 
in  the  neighbourhood  of  the  Holy  City  with  our  little  son  of  six 
years. 

'  Sunday  afternoon — walked  out  with  A—  down  the  slope 

D  D  2 


404  SUNDAY   AFTERNOON   WALKa 

of  Zion  towards  Siloaxn*  On  the  way  we  rested  on  the  rooti 
an  olive-tree,  and  while  he  was  pioking  flowers  of  the  Sir  i 
Bethlehem,  I  read  to  him  out  of  my  very  little  New  Testae 
the  second  chapter  of  Matthew.  Thence  we  went  to  the  W 
of  Siloam^  where  1  explained  that  it  was  formerly  a  beaA 
place  in  om*  Lord's  time ;  thence  descending  towards  Bea 
Eyoob,  and  ascending  near  to  Aceldama,  we  sat  down  at  ^ 
portal  of  a  magnificent  sepulchre,  and  I  read  to  him  the  nis^ 
chapter  of  John  about  the  pool  of  Siloam. 

*  What  a  wonderful  collection  of  interesting  historical  spe^ 
are  vrithin  a  few  hundred  yards  around,  such  as  Siloam,  tU 
King's  gardens,  Zion,  Tophet,  En  Rogel,  Aceldama,  the  Vallej« 
Hinnom,  with  the  Temple  walls  looking  down  upon  us  I  Tbais 
we  sauntered  up  the  Valley  of  Hinnom  alongside  of  the  iw» 
gathering  abundance  of  cyclamen,  grape-hyacinth,  marig»^ 
and  pimpernel  I ' 

Again  the  following  '  Sunday  afternoon  I  walked  with  b? 
son  to  the  Talibiyeh,  where  we  sat  in  the  shade  of  the  hoa* 
and  read  (verse  about)  the  most  of  John  iv,' 

And  again  on  a  following  Sunday  *  I  took  A —  for  his  i&^ 
walk.  We  went  to  the  Talibiyeh,  and  sat  down  near  our  doff? 
looking  over  towards  our  Protestant  burying-groimd  and  t» 
road  to  Bethany,  and  we  read  over  the  eleventh  chapter  of  J<»^ 
a  subject  consonant  with  the  prospect,  and  with  the  recefit 
occurrence  of  death  (a  death  had  occurred  very  suddenly  ^ 
under  painful  circumstances),  though,  of  course,  the  joj»* 
resurrection  is  the  idea  which  most  engaged  the  child  s »' 
tention.' 

Can  any  greater  contrast  be  imagined  than  the  peaca^ 
scenes  here  described,  and  the  confusion  and  disorders  aino^ 
the  native  population  and  in  the  machinery  of  govemiD^ » 
between  the  security  and  repose  of  these  quiet  Sunday  hoiHso® 
in  the  open  country,  and  the  fightings  among  the  peasant?' 
the  insecurity  from  robbery  on  the  high  roads  up  to  the  '^^ 
gates  of  the  city  to  which  other  people  were  exposed,  afl^  ^ 
fidence,  so  well  justified  in  the  safety  which  the  goodwill 
the  people  secured  for  us  ? 


405 


CHAPTER  XV. 

THE  JERUSALEM  DISTRICT   WITHOUT  A  VASEA. 

TnrMsIi  diplomacy  in  ruling — Condition  of  Nabloos  and  North  Palestine — 
Incivility  of  the  Military  Commandant  and  of  the  Kadi  checked — 'Akeeli 
Aga  and  his  career — ^Mission  of  the  Consular  Kawwas — Emir-Sa'ad  ed 
Deen  Shehabi  of  Hhasheya  yisits  Constantinople  against  his  will,  and 
learns  a  lesson  there. 

*  Ma  fee  hhukum  ' — ^there  is  no  government ;  had  been 
the  complaint  of  the  natives  during  many  months  past ; 
for  some  time  the  country  had  been  without  troops,  and 
now,  from  December  17, 1853,  to  the  16th  of  the  ensuing 
March,  1854,  Jerusalem  and  the  territory  thereto  belong- 
ing were  without  any  Pashk.  The  administration  of  govern- 
ment was  conducted  by  a  Commission  of  the  KMi 
(Judge),  the  Mufti  and  the  Nakeeb  el  AshrHf. 

It  was  commonly  said  in  Jerusalem  at  that  time  that 
of  the  rulers  of  the  district  one  was  blind,  another  lame 
and  in  extreme  old  age,  while  the  third  was  stone  deaf. 

There  was  besides  a  military  commander,  with  his  in- 
fantry in  the  barracks,  but  the  Commission  had  no  control 
over  him,  for  his  immediate  superior  was  the  Commander- 
in-Chief  (Seriasker)  in  Damascus,  and  the  only  public 
service  he  could  render,  indeed  all  that  the  Turkish 
Government  required  of  him,  was  to  stay  in  his  place,  to 
hold  a  few  parades  on  the  public  Maidftn,  and  to  have 
the  brass  band  perform  its  screeching  duty  morning  and 


406.  TURKISH  MODE  OF   RULE. 

cvcningt  that  is  to  say,  to  let  himself  and  his  troops 
seen  and  heard. 

Even  this  meagre  routine  was  not  without  oo: 
able  effect  in  so  conservative  a  country.  Both  to 
men  and  peasantry  stood  in  awe  of  the  military  preso^x 
and  the  word  Dowleh^  or  '  government,'  still  preserFed  b 
ascendancy  as  •  it  were  by  magic.  The  loyalty  of  de 
people  to  their  sovereign  was  undoubted.  While  ^lt- 
rounded  by  elements  of  discord,  it  was  to  us  ever  ^ 
matter  of  surprise  how  any  degree  of  cohesion  was  mab- 
tained  throughout  the  country,  and  yet  it  was  maintainai 

We  speak  here  not  only  of  this  actual  interregniis 
while  the  Pashahc  was  held  in  commission,  but  oi  the 
normal  condition  of  the  Turkish  rule  at  all  times,  a»3 
which  seems  to  bear  a  curious  similarity  to  that  of  tk 
Chinese.  The  euphemism  of  Turkish  phraseolc^y  exprese^ 
the  process  of  governing  by  a  few  fixed  terms  denolzce 
the  skilful  application  of  certain  principles.  Dastofi^ 
(friendly)  is  the  word  by  which  the  conduct  of  a  Fksk 
towards  foreign  Consuls  should  be  governed,  and  bendenk 
(your  servant)  the  term  employed  in  addressing  theni, 
these  being  in  effect  equivalent  to  our  usage  in  endii^ 
letters  to  each  other  by  the  phrase  '  your  humble  and 
obedient  servant.' 

For  ruling  native  subjects,  the  guiding  word  is  'Akiland 
(skilfully),  while  the  brutal  and  often  sanguinary  conflicts 
among  the  peasantry  are  described  by  no  fiercer  term 
than  na-saz-lik  (impropriety)  \  the  correction  of  the  same, 
to  be  performed  in  a  peaceful  mode,  is  called  the  tarferf* 
(setting  to  rights).  Voormak  (to  strike,  a  word  implyinii 
a  resort  to  force)  is  a  word  but  rarely  pronounced,  and 


V 


DIVISIONS  AND  FACTIONS.  407 

---len   only  in  a  subdued  voice.    These  are  specimens  oi 

le  iatlu  dil^  the  *  sweet  tongue,'  of  Turkish  rulers.     The 

: :  zrte^b  which  accompax^  it  is  mainly  based  upon  the  old 

jtoman  principle  (quoted  before)  of  *  divide  and  rule,'  for 

,v  is   essentially  Turkish  to  have  no  district,  or  village, 

^>r  even  family,  if  possible,  without  some  dissensions  or 

;  ivalry  which  may  be  alternately  played  off  against  eacli 

>ther,  and  thus  ruled  without  force. 

The  most  important  and  widely-spread  division  of  the 
population  of  South  Palestine  is  that  according  to  which 
they  are   all  ranged  under  either  the  *Kais'  or   the 
Yemeni  fiactions,  which  have    existed  at  least  from  the 
^  earliest  era  of  Mohammedanism.   (See  ante^  p.  226.)  The 
villages  of  the  peasantry  are,  as  has  appeared  in  this  his- 
.  tory,  associated  into  clannish  groups,  such  as  the  Hhas- 
sanlyeh,  tfie  MaUklyeh,  and  others — a  state  of  things  im- 
plying external  hostilities  as  well  as  internal  bonds  of 
union  ;  but  some  villages  even  were  separated  into  two 
rival  streets,  of  which  Malhha  (the  village  mentioned 
before   in    our    neighbourhood,    South-West)  was    an 
example. 

The  Ottoman  Government  being  at  that  time  unable 
to  fiimish  Turkish  governors,  of  however  mean  capacity 
or  rank,  to  govern  towns  and  districts,  fomented  jealousies 
and  competitions  for  obtaining  the  Shaikh -ship  between 
the  leading  families  of  a  place,  and  then  the  policy  was 
pursued  of  alternately  raising  and  depressing  the  rivals. 

Take,  for  example,  the  town  of  Bethlehem.  In  the 
days  of  Egyptian  rule  under  Ibrahim  Fashk  the  Moham- 
medan population  of  that  town  was  exterminated,  all 
but  a  few  who  were  exiled.     On  the  restoration  of  the 


/ 


/ 


408  ORDER  IN  JERUSALEM. 

Sultan's  supremaoy  the  survivors  came  back  to  the  im 
and  were  allowed  to  multiply,  but  they  were  carefift 
'  factionized  '  into  two  old-standing  parties  of  theFawJgn, 
as  these  Moslems  are  called,  each  party  being  joined  tf 
some  of  the  shopkeepers.  These  factions  often  fougba 
the  streets,  and  even  summoned  distant  allies  to  their  aii 
As  for  the  Christians  of  Bethlehem — Greek,  Latin,  sd 
Armenian — alas  I  who  has  not  heard  of  the  diBseoads 
among  them,  instead  of '  peace  on  earth,  goodwill  amaig 
men'? 

In  Jerusalem,  with  the  military  force  and  a  rtaff« 
Government  officials,,  whether  Turks  or  natives  (ctessi 
from  among  the  Arab  noblesse  or  Effendis),  exten* 
order  was  pretty  well  preserved.  Faction  fights  amoi^the 
Moslem  inhabitants  were  entirely  unknown.  When  pnW^ 
order  was  disturbed,  and  it  was  only  very  rarely  fc 
turbed,  it  was  quickly  restored.  Even  at  the  Holy  S^' 
chre  Church  the  fights  among  the  Christians  were  speedilf 
quelled.  But  in  both  religious  and  in  secular  matias^ 
the  Turks  had  fiill  scope' for  playing  off  the  several  con- 
vents and  communities  against  their  rival  conventeaDd 
communities. 

As  for  the  Jews,  although  among  themselves  u^ 
was  no  lack  of  sectional  antipathies,  yet  it  lay  not  lam 
within  the  scope  of  Turkish  '  fasftd '  (the  art  of  so^c 
dissension) ;  indeed,  it  would  have  taken  them  too  m^^ 
trouble  to  comprehend  the  springs  of  Jewish  ennuUeSi 
these  lay  out  of  theur  reach. 

But  the  sweetest  morsel  of  Osmanli  performance  ^ 
what  went  to  weakening  that  whi^ih  they  most  disliked 
-^-^European  influence  in  the  East. 


RIVALS  IN  THE  NABLOOS  DISTRICT.  409 

This  they  tried  to  do  in  Jerusalem  by  setting  the  Con- 
suls against  each  other  (though  in  this  they  did  not  much 
succeed),  while  maintaining  all  the  time  the  perfection  of 
outward  politeness  to  them  all,  and  all  diplomatic  for- 
malities and  etiquettes  in  demeanour,  and  in  written  cor- 
respondence ;  but  of  the  latter  they  thought  the  less  the 
better,  and  avoided  committing  themselves  to  it  by  every 
possible  means. 

In  th^  arts  of  ..disintegration  Turkish  officials  ex- 
celled— '  Ha3  .  tibi  erunt  artes  ' — not  by  use  of  strength 
or  vigour.  But  these  arts  are  the  resource  of  feeble- 
ness, however  skilfully  practised;  and  that  they  are 
often  practised  with  consummate  skill  no  one  who  has 
watched  Turkish  diplomacy  on  a  large  or  a  small  scale 
can  deny.  Their  effects  are  deleterious  in  withering  pubhc 
prosperity  by  destroying  mutual  confidence,  and  they 
blast  all  sentiment  approaching  to  patriotism  for  the  sake 
of  obtaining  temporary  security  to  the  governing  race. 

We  have  hitherto  dwelt  more  upon  the  condition  of 
Southern  Palestine.  But  in  the  central  district — ^that  of 
Jebel  Nabloos  (Samaria) — it  has  been  seen  that  affairs 
were  in  much  the  same  condition.  There  was  always 
chronic  hostility  subsisting,  and  systematically  fomented 
by  the  Turks,  between  the  families  of  Tok&n,  backed  by 
the  Jer&r,  which  formed  the  antique  Conservative  body, 
and  that  of  Abdul  H&di  with  other  allies,  Liberals 
in  the  fashion  then  imderstood  at  Constantinople — i.e.  by 
way  of  opposition  to  their  rivals  of  the  old  school.  The 
Turkish  visible  Government  at  this  time  in  the  Nabloos 
district  was  barely  a  mere  scarecrow  with  scarce  any 
terrors.    There  was  just  power  enough  for  the  levying  of 


v^ 


410  GALILEE  AND  THE  LEBANON. 

]  the  taxes,  and  as  for  the  rival  factions,  so  injurious  to  the 
well-being  of  the  peasantry,  they  were  but  as  two  so^ 
now  up,  now  down,  as  the  beam  of  the  balance  within 
the  Seraglio  at  Jerusalem  was  sloped  either  way  by 
\mean8  of  bribery,  or  as  the  fisw^tions  themselves  were 
affected  by  the  results  of  their  sanguinary  fightings. 

The  territory  of  the  Sanjak  of  Jerusalem  ended  north- 
wards at  Jeneen,  on  the  verge  of  the  plain  of  Esdraelon. 
North  of  this  the  district  of  ancient  Galilee  was  squeezed 
into  submissive  quietude  by  Bedaween  forays  from  the 
East  and  the  few  regular  cavalry  (Sow&ra),  commonly  at 
the  fortress  of  Acre  to  the  West,  though  even  here  there 
were  petty  rivalries  kept  up  among  the  villages,  and 
'Akeeli  Aga,  the  *  Free  lance,'  of  whom  more  presently, 
held  a  sort  of  roving  commission. 

Further  North  the  Bel4d  Besh&ra  was  tolerably  at 
rest  under  Tibneen,  but  an  old  grudge  stiU  rankled  and 
was  kept  alive  in  the  heart  of  the  rival  chie&  at  Bint  el 
Jebail. 

Thus  Turkish  pohcy  was  carried  out  all  over  the  land 
at  little  cost,  or_ratherL  great  was  the  gain  to -the.  rulers, 
for  faction  bribed  against  faction,  chief  against  chief 
The  system  was  also  in  operation  in  the  Lebanon.  Who 
has  not  heard  of  the  feuds  between  the  Maronites  and  the 
Druses,  of  the  rivalries  between  this  and  that  Druse  dan, 
this  and  that  Maronite  party?  And  even  among  the 
Desert  tribes  the  same  tactics  were  always  more  or  l^s 
available,  more  or  less  successful  in  maintaining  Turkish 
rule  without  rulers,  and  government  at  the  expense  of 
the  governed. 

Towards  the  end  of  1853  the  Turkomans — a  consider- 


MATTERS  GETTING  WORSE.  411 

able  body  of  whom  live  as  npmades  in  the  nortli,  and  are 
often  to  be  seen  encamped  on  the  plain  of  Esdraelon — 
were  ravaging  the  district  south  of  Caxmel,  between  the 
village  of  Um  el  Eahhm  and  Tantoora  on  the  sea-coast. 

Further  north,  in  Acre,  I  was  informed  that  great 
apprehensions  of  danger  were  entertamed  by  the  Ghris- 
tians  on  accoimt  of  the  Pashk  of  that  place,  who,  in 
subservience  to  the  fanaticism  of  his  people,  was  in  the 
habit  of  perambulating  the  streets  and  bazaars  by  night 
in  company  with  durweeshes  carrying  lanterns  and  flags, 
and  beating  drums  as  an  accompaniment  to  their  shouts 
of  ^  God  preserve  the  Sult&n,  and  break  the  necks  of  the 
infidels ! ' 

In  the  early  part  of  1854  the  villages  around  the 
plain  of  Esdraelon,  and  those  of  the  plains  of  Galilee  as 
far  north  as  Safed,  were  wasted  with  fire  and  sword  by 
the  above-mentioned  'Akeeli  Aga  el  Hh9,si  and  his  brother 
Selameh  Tahh^wi,  said  to  be  in  direct  revolt  against  the 
Sublime  Government. 

The  news  which  reached  me  was  bad.  It  was  clear 
that  insurrections  of  dangerous  character  were  becoming 
worse  day  by  day  in  the  Nabloos  district  and  in  the 
southern  parts  of  Galilee.  From  Hebron,  too,  came 
accounts  of  fresh  disturbances,  and  of  the  danger  which 
the  poor  Jews  (British  protegis  and  others)  were  in. 
Something  must  be  done. 

I  paid  a  visit  to  the  Tiu-kish  authorities  for  the  pur- 
pose of  talking  over  these  matters  and  ascertaining  what 
could  be  done ;  and  first  I  went  to  the  barracks  to  visit 
the  mihtary  commander.  On  arriving  at  the  foot  of  the 
flight  of  steps,  which  lead  up  to  the  terrace  on  which  is 


41^  INCIVILITY  CHECKED. 

the  reception  room,  the  sentry  on  duty  refused  to  allow 
my  kaww&sses  to  precede  me  (with  their  official  staves) 
according  to  invariable  custom. 

First  beginnings  of  mischief  must  be  checked. 
Here  was  an  attempt  at  curtailment  of  the  usual  civiKties 
hitherto  observed  as  matter  of  course.^ 

My  visit  was  therefore  not  paid.  I  turned  and  went 
on  to  the  Mahhkameh  (Hall  of  Judgment),  over  which 
the  K&di  presides,  for  the  administration  of  Moham- 
medan law  according  to  the  Kor&n.  The  K&di  is  one 
of  the  very  few  Turkish  native  authorities  sent  from  Con- 
stantinople. The  appointment  is  made  for  three  years. 
The  Pashk  and  the  Mihtary  Commander  are  also  always 
Turks,  and  not  Syrians.  It  will  be  remembered  that  at 
present  the  Kadi  was  one  of  a  commission  of  three  admi- 
nistering the  vacant  Pashalic. 

There  was  present  in  the  Mahhkameh  a  large  assem- 
bly of  the  Effendis  with  the  Mdi.  They  all  rose  to 
receive  me ;  but  the  Kadi  did  not.  This  again  was  a 
gross  and  intentional  breach  of  customary  etiquette,  and 
which  it  was  necessary  to  notice.  Every  Pashk  and  every 
KMi  always  rose  up  to  receive  the  visit  of  a  CJonsuL  I 
walked  away,  and  was  going  up  the  street,  when  a  dra- 
goman came  running  after  us  to  apologise,  and  b^  ^1 
return.  I  returned — the  K&di  rose  with  the  rest— ana 
we  had  a  long  discourse  with  the  Effendis  about  the 
progress  of  the  war,  and  the  condition  of  the  country. 
Other  Effendis  who  came  in  assured  us  that  20,000 

*  '  A  breach  of  etiquette  is,  in  the  East,  a  matter  of  much  more  conje* 
quence  than  it  may  seem  to  l^glishmen,  and  is  not  a  thing  to  he  p>^ 
over  as  if  it  meant  nothing  and  were  likely  to  result  in  nothing.'— T^* 
Times,  January  8, 1878. 


'  WHAT  CAN  BE  DONE?*  418 

Egyptian  troops  were  coming  to  guard  the  country,  and 
that  provisions  had  been  sent  from  there  to  El  Arish  on 
the  desert  frontier. 

On  reaching  home  a  messenger  came  from  the  Kai- 
makSm  (Mihtary  Commandant)  with  excuses  for  the  con- 
duct of  his  sentry,  and  to  annoimce  his  coming  in  two 
and  a-half  hours  to  visit  me,  which  he  did — and,  in  the 
course  of  a  long  conversation,  he  said  that  no  Egyptian 
troops  were'  coming. 

It  was  evident  that  nothing  would  be  done — perhaps 
nothing  could  be  done  for  the  quieting  down  of  the  in- 
surgent peasantry,  or  for  the  protection  of  the  British 
protigia  for  whom  I  at  least  was  bound  to  exert  every 
means  within  my  power,  and  it  was  clearly  of  great  im- 
portance to  prevent  the  smouldering  fires  from  bursting 
anywhere  into  flames,  which  might  end  in  a  general  con- 
flagration. 

But  what  could  be  done  ?  Nothing,  save  what  had 
been  so  often  done  before — exert  to  the  utmost  what- 
ever moral  influence  we  possessed  for  the  protection 
of  the  defenceless  where  there  were  no  Turkish  autho- 
rities to  apply  to,  and  use  whatever  influence  we  could 
bring  to  bear  upon  the  ringleaders  of  the  insurgents  to 
cease  from  fighting.  Feeble  as  these  means  may  seem, 
they  were  all  we  had  at  command,  and  they  had  already 
been  used  with  success  in  other  parts  of  the  country,  as 
this  narrative  has  shown. 

Letters  were  accordingly  prepared,  and  my  kaww&sses 
were  ordered  to  equip  themselves  for  immediate  travel, 
one  south,  another  north,  while  a  third  went  for  a  few 


414      LETTERS  SENT  OFF.   'AKEEU  AGA. 

days  to  the  farm  at  TJrtas,  by  Bethlehem,  where  Me- 
shuUam  needed  help. 

One  letter  was  written  for  the  Governor  at  Hebron, 
urging  him  to  protect  the  Jews  there  from  molestation. 
Two  others  were  for  the  insurgent  brothers  in  Gblilee, 
'Akeeli  Aga  el  Hhfisi  and  his  brother  Selameh  Tahhfiwi. 

'AkeeU  Aga  had  first  come  prommently  into  notice 
among  Europeans  by  his  escort  of  the  American  Scien- 
tific Expedition  to  the  Dead  Sea  in  1848.  He  was 
originally  an  Arab  of  Algiers,  or  some  adjacent  country, 
who  had  gathered  to  himself  a  band  of  rievers  of  African 
origin  whom  the  Palestinians  declared  to  be  Indians 
(Hin&di).  They  had  subsisted  by  marauding  in  the  vici- 
nity of  the  Jordan,  till  he  rendered  himself  so  formidable 
that  the  Ottoman  Government  was  fain  to  give  him  a 
roving  commission  as  Aga  of  irregular  cavalry,  for  acting 
between  the  Jordan  and  Mount  Carmel.  This  was  done 
despite  his  outrageous  conduct  in  1847. 

The  authority  thus  received  he  of  his  own  free  will 
extended  to  Nazareth,  Tiberias,  and  Safed.  Who  could 
say  him  *  Nay,'  inasmuch  as  the  roads  which  traverse  the 
plain  of  Esdraelon,  between  Carmel  and  Jordan,  lead  to 
these  towns  also.  And  the  seaports  of  Acre  and  Caifa 
were  also  naturally  connected  with  the  district. 

Commander  Lynch,  of  the  United  States  navy,  in  his 
interesting  narrative  of  the  expedition  which  he  con- 
ducted to  the  Jordan  and  Dead  Sea,  gives  an  account  of 
his  first  meeting  with  'Akeeli  Aga,  in  the  div&n  of  Sa'id 
Bey,  the  Governor  of  St.  Jean  d'Acre,  to  whom  Com- 
mander Lynch  had  repaired  for  aid,  according  to  the  terms 
of  the  firm&n  authorising  him  to  explore  the  Jordan. 


COMMANDER  LYNCH'S   ACCOUNT.  415 

The  following  is  his  account  of  that  meeting : — 

'  Late  in  the  afternoon  I  received  an  invitation  from  Sa'id 
Bey  to  come  to  the  palace.  Ascending  a  broad  flight  of  steps, 
and  crossing  a  large  paved  court,  I  was  ushered  into  an  oblong 
apartment  simply  furnished  with  the  divan  at  the  further  end. 
I  was  invited  to  take  the  comer  seat,  among  Turks  the  place  of 
honour.  Immediately  on  my  right  was  the  Cadi  or  Judge,  a 
venerable  and  self-righteous  looking  old  gentleman,  in  a  rich 
blue  cashmere  cloak  trimmed  with  fur.  On  Im  right  sat  the 
Governor.  Around  the  room  were  many  officers,  and  there  were 
a  number  of  attendants  passing  to  and  fro  bearing  pipes  and* 
coffee  to  every  new  comer.  But  what  especially  attracted  my 
attention  was  a  magnificent  savage  enveloped  in  a  scarlet  cloth 
pelisse  richly  embroidered  with  gold.  He  was  the  handsomest, 
and  I  soon  thought  also  the  most  graceful  being  I  had  ever 
seen.  His  complexion  was  of  a  rich  mellow  indescribable  olive 
tint,  and  his  hair  a  glossy  black ;  his  teeth  were  regular  and  of 
the  whitest  ivory,  and  the  glance  of  his  eye  was  keen  at  times, 
but  generally  soft  and  lustrous.  With  the  tarboosh  upon  his 
head  which  he  seemed  to  wear  uneasily,  he  reclined,  rather 
than  sat  upon  the  opposite  side  of  the  divan,  while  his  hand 
played  in  unconscious  familiarity  with  the  hilt  of  his  yataghan. 
He  looked  like  one  who  would  be 

'  Steel  amid  the  din  of  anna 
And  wax  when  with  the  fair.'    (pp.  68,  69.) 

The  Governor  was  not  by  any  means  anxious  to  further 
the  wishes  of  Commander  Lynch,  without  at  least  putting 
a  large  sum  into  his  own  pocket,  and  proceeded  to  raise 
diflBculties  in  order  to  enhance  the  price  to  be  paid  for 
his  protection. 

<  The  Grovemor  stated  that  since  he  had  parted  with  me,  he 
had  received  the  most  alarming  intelligence  of  the  hostile 
spirit  of  the  Arab  tribes  bordering  on  the  Jordan,  and  pointed 
to  the  savage  chief  as  his  authority.  He  named  him  'Akil  Aga 
el  Hassle,  a  great  border  Shaikh  of  the  Arabs.    The  Governor 


416  '  DETERMINED  TO  OBEY  ORDERS.' 

proceeded  to  say  that  the  ^  most  excellent  Shaikh  ^  had  jn&t 
come  in  from  the  Ghor  where  the  tribes  were  up  in  anns  at 
war  among  themselves,  and  pillaging  and  maltreating  all  who 
fell  into  their  hands.  He  was  therefore  of  opinion  that  ive 
could  not  proceed  in  safety  with  less  than  one  hundred  soldien 
to  guard  us;  and  said  that  if  I  would  agree  to  pay  20,000 
piastres  (about  800  dollars),  he  would  procure  means  for  the 
transportation  of  the  boats  and  guard  us  from  molestation* 

^  He  could  not  look  me  in  the  face  when  he  made  this  pro* 
position,  and  it  immediately  occurred  to  me  that  the  Bedawy 
Shaikh  had  been  brought  in  as  a  bugbear  to  intimidate  me  into 
terms.  This  idea  strengthened  with  reflection  until  I  reached 
a  state  of  mind  exactly  the  reverse  of  what  Sa'id  Bey  an- 
ticipated '  (pp.  69-70). 

Commander  Lynch,  in  short,  being  a  resolute  man 
and  having  no  idea  of  the  actual  condition  of  the  coun- 
try, was  in  a  mood  to  carry  out  his  instructions  whether 
the  Governor  aided  him  or  not ;  and  when  at  last  the 
Governor  urged  him  to  abandon  his  enterprise,  he  re- 
plied '  that  we  were  ordered  to  explore  the  Dead  Sea 
and  were  determined  to  obey.'  .  .  .  *The  Shaikh 
(Akeeli)  here  said  that  the  Bedaween  of  the  Ghor  (Jordan 
valley)  woiJd  eat  us  up.  My  reply  was,  that  they  would 
find  us  difficult  of  digestion.  But  as  he  might  have 
some  influence  with  the  tribes,  I  added  that  we  would 
much  prefer  going  peaceably,  paying  feirly  for  all  ser- 
vices rendered  and  provisions  supplied,  but  to  go  at  all 
hazards  we  were  resolutely  determined/ 

<  Without  the  court  I  overtook  the  Shaikh,  who  had  preceded 
me,  and  asked  him  many  questions  about  the  tribes  on  tiie 
Jordan.  In  the  course  of  the  conversation  I  showed  him  my 
sword  and  revolver,  the  former  with  pistol  barrels  attached 
near  the  hilt.     He  examined  them  closely,  and  remarked  that 


REWARD  OF  FIRMNESS.  417 

they  were  the  "  Devil's  invention."  I  then  told  him  that  we 
were  fifteen  in  number,  and  besides  several  of  those  swords  and 
revolvers,  had  one  large  gun  (a  blunderbuss),  a  rifle,  fourteen 
carbines  with  bayonets,  and  twelve  bowie-knife  pistols,  and 
asked  him  if  he  did  not  think  we  could  descend  the  Jordan. 
His  reply  was, '  You  will,  if  anyone  can."  After  parting  from 
him  I  learned  that  he  was  last  year  at  the  head  of  several 
tribes  in  rebellion  against  the  Turkish  Grovemment,  and  that, 
unable  to  subdue  him,  he  had  been  bought  in  by  a  conmiission 
corresponding  to  that  of  Colonel  of  the  irregular  Arabs  (very 
irregular  I)  and  a  pelisse  of  honomr  It  was  the  one  he  wore ' 
(pp.  70-71). 

Commander  Lynch  was  rewarded  for  his  simple 
straightforward  conduct  by  meeting  a  man  well  able  to 
give  him  the  moral  support  he  needed.  This  was  an 
ex-Sher!f  or  Governor  of  Mecca,  who  had  been  deposed 
by  Mehemet  Ali,  but  who  was  held  in  great  respect  by 
all  Moslems  of  Palestine.  It  occurred  to  Lynch  to  ask 
him  to  accompany  the  expedition.  The  idea  was  a  very 
happy  one.  The  Sherlf  accepted  the  invitation,  and  the 
success  of  the  expedition  was  assured. 

^  The  Sherif  also  brought  a  message  from  'Akil,  the  hand- 
some savage,  to  the  purport  that  Sa'id  Bey  was  a  humbug,  and 
had  been  endeavouring  to  frighten  me.  Sherif  thought  it  not 
unlikely  that  the  Shaikh  might  also  be  induced  to  accompany 
us  if  the  negotiations  were  conducted  with  secrecy '  (p.  74). 

A  visit  to  'Akeeli  was  accordingly  made,  and  the  ser- 
vices of  himself  and  his  tribe  were  engaged  upon  very 
moderate  terms.  Commander  Lynch  found  that  he  had 
thus  secured  exactly  the  kind  of  help  needed,  and  the 
following  extracts  show  how  well  'Akeeli  performed  his 
engagements. 

VOL.  I.  E  B 


418  ^AKKKTJ  DESCRIBED. 

^  The  Sherif  and  'Akil  frequently  visited  us  in  our  teni 
The  former  was  our  counsellor,  sagacious  and  prudent;  tk 
latter  was  the  bold  warrior  and  the  admirable  scout.  On  the 
march,  it  was  said  that  he  contrived  to  get  a  sight  of  the  boats 
when  no  one  else  could.  We  never  tired  of  the  company  ci 
this  graceful  savage.  Altogether,  he  was  the  most  perfect 
specimen  of  manhood  we  had  seen.  Looking  at  his  fine  &ce, 
almost  effeminate  in  its  regularity  of  feature,  who  would  imagine 
that  he  had  been  the  stem  leader  of  revolt,  and  that  his  laugh- 
ing, careless  eye  had  even  glanced  from  his  stronghold  on  the 
hiU  upon  the  Pasha's  troops  in  the  plain,  meditating  slaiighter 
in  their  ranks,  and  booty  from  the  routed  Turk ;  or  searched 
the  ravines  and  the  hillsides,  the  wady  and  the  valley,  for  the 
lurking  fellahin  and  their  herds?  That  arm,  which,  in  its 
easy  and  graceful  position,  seemed  almost  nerveless,  had  wielded 
the  scimitar  with  fatal  strength ;  and  he  seemingly  so  mild, 
had  successfully  led  a  small  but  desperate  band  against  the 
authority  of  the  Sultan,  and  forced  the  Q-ovemor  of  Acxe  to 
treat  with  him,  and  purchase  the  security  of  the  district  with  a 
high  office  and  the  crimson  pelisse  of  honour'  (pp.  116-117). 

<  Last  year  (1847),  while  in  rebellion  against  the  govern- 
ment, 'Akil,  at  the  head  of  his  Bedawin  followers,  had  swept 
these  plains,  and  carried  off  a  great  many  horses,  cajbtle,  and 
sheep ;  among  them  the  droves  and  herds  of  the  Nassir.  There 
had,  in  consequence,  been  little  cordiality  between  them  sinee 
they  met  at  Tiberias ;  but,  to-night,  Nassir  asked  'Akil  if  he 
did  not  think  that  he  had  acted  very  badly  in  carrying  off  hiB 
property.  The  latter  answered,  no ;  that  Nassir  was  then  hiB 
enemy,  and  that  he,  'Akil,  had  acted  according  to  the  usages  of 
war  among  the  tribes. 

'The  Nassir  then  asked  about  the  disposition  made  of 
various  animals,  and  especially  of  a  fgivourite  mare.  'Akil  said 
that  he  had  killed  so  many  of  the  sheep,  given  so  many  away, 
and  sold  the  rest ;  the  same  with  the  cattle  and  horses.  As  to 
the  mare,  he  said  he  had  taken  a  fancy  to  her,  and  that  it  was 
the  one  he  now  rode.     This  the  Emir  knew  full  well. 

^  After  some  further  conversation  Nassir  proposed  that  they 


BEDAWY  HONOUR.  419 

should  bury  all  wrongs  and  become  brothers.  To  this  'Akil 
assented.  The  former  thereupon  plucked  some  grass  and  earth, 
and  lifting  up  the  comer  of  'Akil's  aba,  placing  them  beneath 
it,  and  then  the  two  Arabs  embracing,  with  clasped  hands 
swore  eternal  brotherhood. 

*When  questioned  immediately  after  upon  the  subject, 
'Akil  stated  that  so  obligatory  was  the  oath  of  fraternity  that, 
should  he  hereafter  carry  off  anything  from  a  hostile  tribe, 
which  had  once,  no  matter  how  far  back  been  taken  from  the 
Emir,  he  would  be  bound  to  restore  it. 

^As  an  instance  he  mentioned  that  when  he  was  in  the 
service  of  Ibrahim  Pash&,  there  were  nine  other  tribes  besides 
his  own ;  and  that  in  one  of  their  expeditions  they  carried  off  a 
number  of  sheep,  forty  of  which  were  assigned  as  his  portion  ; 
that  shortly  after  an  Arab  came  forward  and  claimed  some  of 
them  on  the  ground  of  fraternisation.  'Akil  told  him  that  he 
did  not  know,  and  had  never  seen  him  before ;  but  the  man 
asserted  and  proved  that  their  fathers  had  exchanged  vows,  and 
the  sheep  claimed  were  consequently  restored. 

^  These  Bedawin  are  pretty  much  in  the  same  state  as  the 
barons  of  England  and  the  robber  knights  of  Crermany  were 
some  centuries  back' (pp.  147-148). 

An  amusing  incident  shows  'Akeeli  in  a  clear  light  as 
an  adept  at  cattle-lifting : — 

^In  ten  minutes  after  leaving  the  camping-ground  this 
morning,  the  caravan  struck  upon  the  plain  and  crossed  the 
wady  Fari&  pursuing  a  S.  by  W.  course.  Across  the  ravine 
they  saw  a  young  camel  browsing  among  the  brown  fiirze  and 
stunted  bushes,  t^hich,  in  these  plains,  serve  to  protect  the 
scanty  vegetation  from  the  intense  heat  of  the  sun.  This  crea- 
ture had  evidently  strayed  from  some  fellahin  encampment,  or 
had  been  abandoned  by  its  owners  when  pursued  by  the  Beda- 
win, many  of  whom  had  been  seen  the  day  previous  on  the 
eastern  side  of  the  Jordan.  The  camel  being  quite  wild  racked 
off  at  frill  speed  on  their  approach,  and  the  scouts  immediately 
started  in  pursuit.     Its  whole  body  swayed  regularly  with  its 

E  E  2 


420  BEDAWY  MANNEBS. 

pecaliar  racking  motion,  as  before  remarked,  exactly  like  the 
yawing  of  a  ship  before  the  wind.  Whether  it  walks  or  runs, 
the  camel  ever  throws  forward  its  hind  and  fore  leg  on  the  same 
side,  and  at  the  same  time,  as  a  horse  does  in  pacing^.  The 
fugitive  was  soon  caught,  and  true  to  its  early  teaching,  knelt 
down  the  moment  a  hand  was  placed  upon  its  neck.  'Akil 
abandoning  his  mare,  mounted  the  prise,  and  without  bridle  or 
halter,  dashed  off  at  full  speed  over  the  plain  to  increase  the 
number  of  our  beasts  of  burden'  (pp.  164  165). 

These  extracts  give  a  vivid  picture  of  the  man,  as  he 
then  was.  When  the  party  reached  the  Dead  Sea,  as  they 
did  in  safety,  Lynch  continues  (p.  178) : — 

'  'Akil,  to  whom  we  were  all  much  attached,  came  to  see  us 
prior  to  his  departure.  To  our  surprise  and  great  delight,  we 
learned  in  the  course  of  conversation  that  he  was  well  acquaints 
and  on  friendly  terms  with  some  of  the  tribes  on  the  eastern 
shore.  I  therefore  prevailed  upon  him  to  proceed  there  by 
land,  apprise  the  tribes  of  our  coming,  and  make  arrangements 
to  supply  us  with  provisions.' 

At  last  the  time  for  parting  came,  and  Commander 
Lynch  writes :_ 

« To-night  our  Bedawin  had  a  farewell  feast,  characteristic 
alike  of  their  habitual  waste  and  want  of  cleanliness.  A  huge 
kettle  partly  filled  with  water  was  laid  on  a  fire  made  of  wood 
gathered  on  the  beach,  and  strongly  impregnated  with  salt; 
when  the  water  boiled,  a  quantity  of  flour  was  thrown  in  and 
stirred  with  a  branch  of  drift-wood  seven  feet  long  and  nine 
inches  in  circumference.  When  the  mixture  was  about  the 
consistence  of  paste,  the  vessel  was  taken  from  the  fire,  and  a 
skin  of  rancid  butter,  about  six  pounds,  in  a  fluid  state  was 
poured  in;  the  mixture  was  again  stirred,  and  the  Bedawin 
seated  round  it,  scooped  out  the  dirty  greasy  compound  with  the 
hollow  of  their  hands,  'Akil  not  the  least  voracious  among 
them.      He  is  a  genuine  barbarian,  and   never  sleeps  even 


'AKEELI  AGA  AND  THE  KURDS.        421 

beneath  the  &ail  covering  of  a  tent.  In  his  green  'aba,  which  he 
has  constantly  worn  since  he  joined  us,  he  is  ever  to  be  found  at 
night  slumbering,  not  sleeping,  near  the  watch  fire,  his  yata- 
ghan by  his  side,  his  heavy-mounted,  wide-mouthed  pistols  be- 
neath his  head'  (p.  179). 

'Akeeli  returned  to  Gblilee  by  the  eastern  side  of  the 
Dead  Sea  and  the  Jordan,  and  thus  to  the  Sea  of  Galilee. 
Commander  Lynch  met  him  again,  after  the  work  in 
South  Palestine  was  over,  in  St.  Jean  d'Acre,  when  Sherlf 
invited  the  party  to  breakfast  with  him  and  'Akeeli  Aga. 
From  this  time  forward  'AkeeU  remained  in  Turkish  pay. 

At  the  time  of  the  present  history,  1853-4,  the  Go- 
vernment appear  to  have  attempted  to  dispense  with  his 
services.  At  any  rate  a  body  of  Kurds,  jfrom  the  neigh- 
bourhood of  Aleppo,  claimed  to  be  now  invested  with  the 
same  command  over  this  district  hitherto  held  by  'Akeeli 
and  his  brother.  The  rival  corps  had  met  and  fought  it 
out  with  much  slaughter.  Some  were  of  opinion  that 
this  was  what  the  Turks  meant  them  to  do,  in  order  to 
weaken  both.  The  Kurds  were  routed,  and  left  corpses 
strewing  the  ground  from  Tabor  to  Hermon.  'Akeeli 
followed  up  his  victory  by  plundering,  in  every  direction, 
the  places  where  he  asserted  his  enemies  had  found  sup- 
plies of  food  and  forage. 

There  being,  as  before  said,  no  Turkish  authority 
within  reach,  and  as  I  would  not  trust  solely  to  the  per- 
sonal influence  of  my  local  agents  with  'Akeeli  in  so 
serious  an  emergency  as  the  present,  I  dispatched  a  letter 
from  myself  to  each  of  these  brothers  ('AkeeU  Aga  and 
Selameh  Tahh&wi),  reminding  them  of  their  duty  to  their 
own  governmeut,  and  admonishing  them  to  avoid  oppres- 


'      p 


422  MISSION  OP  OONSULAB  KAWWlS. 

sion  of  Christians  in  general,  as  well  as  of  our  own  Angk- 
Jewish  protigis. 

My  select  kaww&s,  Mohammed  es  Serw&n,  carried 
these  letters.  The  service  was  not  without  danger,  for 
on  the  way  he  found  all  the  intervening  coimtry  of 
Nabloos  (i.  e,  the  Samaria  district)  in  arms,  with  slaughter 
and  devastation  prevailing  from  the  distance  of  a  few 
leagues  of  Jerusalem  to  the  plain  of  Esdraelon  ;  (this  im 
unconnected  with  'Akeeli's  doings  beyond,  in  Galilee;) 
insomuch  that  he  was  obliged  to  travel  over  the  summits 
of  hilly  ranges  instead  of  along  the  regular  roads.^  Then 
the  great  plain,  Esdraelon,  was  occupied  by  Eastern  Be- 
daween,  encamped  and  ravaging  aroimd  Mount  Tabor. 
(It  must  be  remembered  that  all  these  feuds  and  fight- 
ings were  among  the  Moslem  inhabitants  alone,  and  had 
nothing  to  do  with  religion.) 

Having  thus  reached  Nazareth  by  a  circuitous  route, 
my  kaww&s  took  with  him,  according  to  my  directions, 
the  native  head  man  of  the  Protestants  there.  He  found 
the  triumphant  brothers  near  BQiatteen,  and  was  civilly 
received  with  the  letters  which  he  delivered. 

The  winter  season  was  fiilly  upon  us  before  my  kaw- 
wfi5  had  left  Jerusalem  on  his  mission  (January  29). 
Torrents  of  rain  feU,  with  =U>nns  of  wind,  thund^li#- 
ning,  hail,  and  snow ;  withm  the  following  fortnight  the 
roads  commonly  traversed  were  mostly  impassable. 

The  accounts  of  the  disorders  in  the  district  through 
which  he  had  to  pass  became  so  alarming  that  we  were 
becoming  uneasy  about  his  safety ;  there  being  no  post 

^  Compare  JudgeSi  v.  6,  about  a  similar  state  of  things  in  that  terf 
district. 


SAFE  RETUBN  WITH  LETTERS.  423 

through  the  mterior  of  the  country,  we  were  unable  to 
hear  any  news  about  him,  and  were  considering  the  pro- 
priety of  sendmg  in  search  of  him.  It  was  a  reUef  when 
he  at  last  presented  himself,  worn  and  travel^stained. 

This  was  by  no  means  the  only  service  of  special 
adventure  that  this  kaww&s,  Mohammed  es  Serw&n,  had 
performed  with  remarkable  intelligence  and  courage.  His 
reward  on  this  occasion,  over  and  above  the  commenda- 
tion which  he  thoroughly  appreciated,  and  honourable 
mention  to  the  Foreign  Office,  was  a  complete  new  suit 
of  clothes  (of  the  colours  generally  worn  by  the  kaw- 
wSsses  of  the  British  Consulate — scarlet  cloth  jacket 
embroidered  in  gold,  with  dark  blue  foil  trowsers). 

'Akeeli  Aga  and  his  43rother  sent  me  rephes  to  my 
letters.  They  declared  their  unqualified  obedience  to 
the  Sublime  Government,  but  complained  of  injustice 
done  them  by  subordinates.  This  is  a  usual  excuse  for 
Syrian  insurgents  to  make,  and  of^en  it  is  made  in  all 
sincerity  and  with  good  reason.  Loyalty  to  the  Ottoman 
Government  is  compatible  with  indignation  at  injustice 
done  by  local  authorities,  and  even  with  actual  resist- 
ance to  these  authorities. 

The  letters  to  me  were  artfolly  concocted.  It  was, 
however,  in  no  wise  within  my  province  to  enter  into  the 
merits  of  the  quarrel  between  these  insurgents  and  their 
opponents,  or  into  that  between  them  and  'Abdu'l  Hadi, 
the  Governor  of  Nabloos,  and  least  of  all  to  meddle  with 
any  proceedings  of  the  Pashk  of  Egypt,  of  whose  conduct 
complaint  was  made  in  Selameh's  letter  to  me. 

It  was,  however,  certain  that  'Abdu'l  Hadi  could  have 
no  power  to  send  'Akeeli  Aga,  as  he  was  alleged  to  have 


424  'AKEELI  AND  THE  FRENCH. 

threatened  he  would,  into  exile  at  Widin  (the  European 
fortress).  This  accusation  being  untrue  afforded  ground 
for  suspicion  that  others  made  by  'Akeeli  Aga  might 
likewise  be  exaggerated.  It  would  be  tedious  to  recount 
the  ins  and  outs  of  aSairs  between  'Akeeli  Aga,  and  the 
Turkish  authorities.  Enough  that  in  May  we  heard  that 
he  had  been  confirmed  in  the  Turkish  service  as  com- 
mander of  200  Bashi  Bozuks,  chiefly  his  own  tribe  rf 
Hin&di  adherents. 

This  favour,  he  had  the  impudence  to  give  out,  was 
owing  to  my  having  exercised  good  offices  in  his  behalf. 
I  had  no  desire  whatever  to  do  so.    But  the  truth  was 
that  the  French  authorities  at  Bayroot  had  taken  him 
into  special  consideration,  probably  from  the  motive  tb&t 
he  was  the  only  man  able  to  rule  the  district  in  which 
lay  the  convents  at  Carmel  and  at  Nazareth,  with  nu- 
merous Latin  Christians  to  be  protected;  it  was  there- 
fore judged  better  to  have  him  for  a  friend  than  for  a 
troublesome  enemy ;  better  to  have  him  under  obligation 
for  protection  of  the  convents  at  Nazareth  and  Oarmel, 
and  for  keeping  the  road  open  across  the  plain  of  Es- 
draelon,  than  to  have  that  territory  abandoned  to  the  utter 
helplessness  of  Turkish  rule  and  the  conflict  of  factions. 

These  ends  were  attained  nominally  and  ostensibly 
through  the  Turkish  Government,  under  whom  'Akeeli 
Aga  held  his  command.  Finding  him  so  well  backed 
up,  I  had  no  objection  to  this  turn  of  afiairs,  seeing  that 
by  it  we  obtained  the  same  advantages  of  comparati^^ 
security  for  our  numerous  Jewish  protegis  of  Safed  and 
Tiberias,  as  well  as  for  the  Protestants  of  Nazareth  con- 
nected with  the  Church  Missionary  Society. 


'AKEELI  AND  HIS  ALLIES.  425 

'Akeeli  Aga  was  summoned  to  Bayroot  in  June,  by 
His  Excellency  the  Musheer  (Governor-General).  The 
French  authorities  then  appointed  their  native  agent,  M. 
Luis  Oatafago,  to  accompany  him;  but  he  refused  to 
trust  himself  on  the  road  merely  in  company  of  a  native 
Syrian;  whereupon  M.  de  Lesseps,  the  Consul-General, 
procured  for  him  a  '  safe-conduct '  (the  Aman  wa  Eai) 
accompanied  by  his  own  written  guarantee.  Before 
however  trusting  himself  even  to  that  assurance,  'Akeeli 
went  for  a  few  days  into  the  desert,eastwards,  and  brought 
back  a  thousand  chosen  horsemen  into  his  place — ^allies, 
to  hold  it  for  him.  The  Turkish  authority  was  satisfied 
with  the  fact  of  his  having  put  in  an  appearance  when  sum- 
moned— thus  acknowledging  their  supremacy.  Shortly 
after  this,  M.  de  Lesseps  paid  'Akeeh  a  visit  at  Caifa, 
and  the  latter  met  him  with  a  showy  retinue  of  Bedawy 
Arabs. 

It  was  on  the  ground  of  'Akeeli  Aga's  Algerine  origin 
(mentioned  above)  that  the  French  thus  treated  him  as  a 
quasi  subject  of  theirs  ;  and  this  they  did  willingly — ^they 
were  jfrequ^ntly  making  him  presents — and  so  long  as 
they  did  so  he  flattered  them  and  overawed  the  country, 
calling  himself  a  Frenchman  in  Turkish  service.  On  his 
return  fix)m  Bayroot,  he  professed  that  Wamek  Pasha, 
the  Governor-General,  had  no  objection  to  his  being  so 
styled ;  and  I  have  myself  heard  him  say  the  same  at  a 
later  date  when  I  visited  him  in  a  journey  upon  the 
banks  of  the  Jordan,  and  when,  to  prove  more  evidently 
that  he  was  a  Frenchman,  he  broke  the  fest  of  Eamadan 
by  eating  and  drinking,  while  he  laughed  at '  those  fools 
of  Mohammedans '  around  him. 


426  PROTECTION  FOR  JEWS  IN  GALILEE. 

It  should  be  borne  in  mind,  in  connection  with  this 
French  recognition  of  'Akeeli  Aga,  that  at  the  same  time 
the  renowned  Abdul  K&der,  the  great  Algerine  leader, 
conquered  and  exiled  by  France,  was  residing  at  Da- 
mascus, a  pensioner  of  France,  and  had  a  considerable 
number  of  Algerine  and  other  African  followers  settled 
on  the  lands  between  Damascus  and  Safed  in  Galilee, 
thus  keeping  up  a  communication  with  'Akeeli. 

By  such  means,  in  the  event  of  a  not-to-be-uttered 
possibility  of  French  activity  in  Syria,  the  French  were 
able  to  count  upon  co-operation  through  the  extent  of 
the  Damascus  territory  and  the  plain  of  Esdraelon  with 
doubtless  the  Maronite  (Boman  Catholic)  interest  in  the 
Lebanon.  These  were  considerations  of  no  trifling  value. 
However,  the  Pashalic  of  Jerusalem  was  not  disturbed  by 
these  affairs  in  Galilee ;  it  was,  and  probably  still  is,  sur- 
prising how  httle  one  Pashalic  knows  of  the  transactions 
in  its  neighbouring  PashaUcs. 

However,  to  return  to  my  narrative  of  events  in  1854. 
The  effect  of  my  message  to  'Akeeli  Aga  was  beneficial 
for  the  time.     He  had  at  all  times  behaved  pretty  wdl 
to  persons  under  European  protection,  with  the  object  of 
keeping  in  favour  with  the  Consuls.     The  district  within 
which  his  rule  extended  lay  beyond  the  supervision  of 
any  other  Jerusalem  Consulate  than  the  English,  but  it 
was  in  the  very  heart  of  my  northern  territory,  and  any 
uproar  in  it  always  endangered  the  unfortunate  Jews  of 
Tiberias  and  Safed,  as  well  as  the  Christians  of  Nazareth 
and  Galilee.    It  was  an  advantage  to  have  a  man  like 
'Akeeh,  able  to  check  any  aggre^ions  on  the  defenceless 
people,  for  whose  safety  in  these  times  of  anxiety  I  was 


'AKEELI  AND  THE  PRINOE  OF  WALES.  427 

concerned,  and  for  whom  immunity  from  injury  was 
obtained  by  means  of  my  appeal  to  him.  Meanwhile  we 
lived  in  hopes  of  the  Turkish  Government  in  the  country 
being  duly  strengthened  before  long. 

'Akeeli  retained  his  rule  for  many  years  afterwards. 

Tristram  found  'Akeeli  Aga  (whom  he  calls  Agyle 
Agha)  m  Galilee,  when  he  visited  the  Holy  Land  in  1863-4. 
He  describes  him  as  being  then  a  large  stoutly-built  man, 
over  six  feet  high,  with  rather  flat  features,  nose  not  pro- 
minent, short  smooth  black  beard,  and  a  remarkably 
placid  and  gentle  expression  of  countenance. 

On  being  informed  of  the  burth  of  the  Prince  of 
Wales'  son,  'Yes,'  he  replied,  'Priest  Zeller  wrote  me 
word  that  God  had  been  good  and  given  good  gifts  unto 
his  children,  at  which  thy  servant  rejoiced.'  He  spoke  of 
the  Prince  having  dined  with  him,  and  of  the  pleasure 
he  had  had  in  conducting  him  through  the  country. 
His  services  would  always  be  at  the  command  of  Eng- 
lishmen and  of  all  Christians ;  for  he  had  not  forgotten 
the  kmdness  of  Christians  to  him  in  his  youth,  and  espe- 
cially how  they  had  aided  his  escape  when  unjustly  im- 
prisoned in  Turkey,  and  how  a  Greek  bishop  had  given 
him  money  to  carry  him  safely  back  to  Syria.^ 

Later  on  (p.  452),  Tristram  describes  his  visit  to  '  the 
Chieftain's  camp.  It  presented  a  lively  scene  as  evening 
approached,  shepherds  and  goatherds  driving  in  their 
flocks  from  pasture,  camels  lazily  chewing  the  cud  or  wind- 
ing in  long  single  file  from  Mount  Tabor,  while  Arab  mares 
with  their  foals  stood  picketed  about.    We  were  received 

»  '  Lftnd  of  Israel;  p.  420. 


428  TRISTRAirS  VISIT  TO  'AKEELI. 

in  the  usual  open  tent,  the  Agha  standing  outside  till  we 
were  seated  on  carpets  and  cushions,  and  a  large  retinue 
of  high  and  low  degrees  surrounding  us.     We  were  in- 
vited to  dinner,  but  no  business  conversation   ensued 
though  business  was  being  carefully  transacted,  as  the 
Agha  vouchsafed   one-half  of  his  face  with  a  pleasant 
smile  to  us,  and  the  other  half  with  a  keen  glance  to  his 
secretary  on  the  other  side,  who  was  receiving  rents  and 
counting  dollars  on  a  handkerchief  at  his  elbow.     Our 
tents  were  being  mounted  on  a  slope  across  the  brook, 
and  as  soon  as  they  were  ready  we  withdrew  till  aibout 
eight  o'clock,  when  a  negro  with  a  lantern    came  to 
summon  us  to  dinner.     This  was  a  single  course,  con- 
sisting of  the  sheep  which  had  been  killed  on  our  arrival, 
boiled  in  fragments,  over  rice  saturated  with  butter ;  the 
mess  was  served  in  an  enormous  wooden  bowl,  which  H 
took  four  men  to  carry,  while  the  host,  according  to 
etiquette,  sat  apart  and  did  not  partake.     It  would  have 
delighted  a  Kembrandt  to  paint  the  scene,  as  we  sat  in  a 
circle  under  the  open  black  tent  in  a  moonless  but  dear 
night,  tearing  the  meat  and  scooping  up  the  rice  with 
our  fingers,  while  a  tall  Bedaween  stood  over  us  with  a 
httle  oil  lamp,  whose  light  just  revealed  the  crowd  of 
various  faces  peering  at  us  through  the  darkness.    Bound 
another  huge  bowl,  farther  on,  feasted  the  guests  of  lower 
degree.  When  we  had  eaten,  or  rather  gorged,  and  water 
had  been  poured  over  our  greasy  hands,  coffee  was  served, 
and  the  business  of  the  evening  commenced.    Mr.  Zeller's 
catechist  made  a  long  speech,  intended  rather  for  the 
bystanders  than  for  Agyle,  complimenting  him  on  our 
parts,  expressing  our  desire  he  might  never  forget  us, 


'AKEELI  AND  THE  TURKISH  aOVERNOR.  429 

and  to  that  end  presenting  him  with  a  gold  watch  and 
chain  \ye  had  brought  for  him.  This  he  received  with  a 
bow,  and  handed  it  to  his  secretary  without  even  casting 
a  glance  at  it.  Then,  Mr.  Zeller  added  a  supplement, 
pointing  out  the  importance  of  a  safe  and  secure  road 
being  provided  for  travellers  from  the  Hauran  through 
Bashan,  and  how,  if  he  succeeded  in  ensuring  this,  he 
would  have  the  goodwiQ  of  the  Western  Powers  and 
their  good  offices  at  the  Porte.' 

Before  leaving  the  coimtry,  Mr.  Tristram  and  his  party 
were  anxious  to  visit  the  Jordan  Valley,  and  being  by 
that  time  at  Nazareth,  they  called  on  the  Governor,  a 
Turk  from  Constantinople,  to  obtain  a  guard.   *  We  were 
received  in  a  room  opening  into  a  dilapidated  yard  where 
the  mouldering  walls  of  mud,  broken  floor,  and  rough 
mustaba  (bench)  on  one  side,  seemed  an  emblem  of  the 
crumbling  power  of  the  Turk  in  the  land.     The  place 
would  have  discredited  the  cart-shed  of  an  impoverished 
English  farm-house.    In  one  comer  three  ragged  carpet- 
rugs  were  spread,  the  sole  fiuniture.    But  the  Governor's 
salary,  when  paid  at  all,  is  but  bl.  per  month,  and  like 
all  Turkish  officials,  he  has  to  live  by  squeezing  the 
people.     He  was  dressed  in  frock  coat  and  trousers,  and 
received  us  very  courteously.     His  language  was  very 
diplomatic.     We  asked  if  we  could  descend  the  Jordan 
Valley  with  safety.     "  How  could  he  tell  ?    His  district 
only  extended  to  Beisan,  and  so  far  it  was  safe  enough. 
He  had  no  authority  to  send  guards  beyond."     But  did 
he  think  Agyle  Agha  could  ensure  our  safety  ?     "  How 
could  he  tell  ?     Agyle  Agha  was  an  independent  autho- 
rity and  did  not  report  to  him.     He  knew  nothing  of  his 


430  'AKEELrS  LETTEB  TO  THE  CONSUL. 

power."  But  at  this  moment  two  horsemen  of  Ae 
Agha's  entered,  and  he  changed  his  tone.  "  Whenever 
Agyle  sends  a  man  there,  you  are  safe.  He  knows  the 
country  better  than  anyone  else." ' 

Mr.  Tristram  and  his  party  chose  to  trust  to  'Akeefi, 
who  was  encamped  at  the  foot  of  Tabor,  and  whose  *  pa- 
triarchal hospitality'  travellers  enjoyed.  He  treated  them 
with  kindness  and  consideration,  according  to  his  custom. 

These  notices  serve  to  show  that  'Akeeli  Aga  was 
during  many  years  one  of  the  principal  charact^^  in 
Northern  Palestine,  and  that,  while  he  resolutely  main- 
tained his  own  position  in  the  country,  he  sought  to  keep 
up  friendly  relations  with  Europeans. 


From  ^AkeeU  Aga  to  the  EngUah  Consul^  1 854. 

In  the  happiest  of  times  I  was  honoured  with  your  letter, 
and  all  your  good  advice  and  kindnesses  have  been  thankfully 
received. 

With  respect  to  your  statement  of  my  ruining  the  coimtiy 
of  Safed,  this  Your  Excellency  must  have  learned  from  those 
who  love  corruption  and  sow  dissension ;  because  the  country  of 
Safed  is  our  mother,  and  she  is  dear  to  us.  Our  £Ekthers  before 
us  of  ancient  times  were  servants  in  Safed  and  elsewhere  to  the 
High  government,  as  well  as  being  officers  of  the  irregular 
cavalry,  and  it  has  always  been  the  custom  of  that  govemmeot 
when  wishing  to  displace  any  of  its  servants  to  pay  him  salary 
for  his  service.  But  now  as  for  this,  your  servant,  by  means  of 
a  bribe  of  70,000  piastres  from  'Abdul  Hadi  to  Ahhmad  Pasha, 
I  have  suffered  much  and  been  ill-treated ;  all  my  property 
was  seized  by  the  former,  after  which  all  my  arms  were  sold  to 
the  &mily  of  'Abdu'l  Hadi,  who  refused  to  pay  me  my  salary 
for  three  months  due,  and  food  for  horses  during  that  time ;  he 
completed  my  misfortunes  by  expelliog  me  to  Widin,  and  I  am 


selAmeh^  letter.  431 

sure  that  the  govemment  at  the  Porte  knows  nothing  of  this 
persecution. 

But  notwithstanding  all  this,  I  accept  yoar  advice,  and 
beg  you  to  assist  in  bringing  me  back  what  was  forcibly 
taken  from  me,  in  horses,  sheep,  arms,  and  grain.  And  I  am 
sure  that  the  Sublime  govemment  knows  nothing  of  what  has 
happened  to  me;  nevertheless  I  look  upon  myself  as  still  a 
servant  of  the  Sublime  govemment,  whether  I  be  in  the  official 
service  or  not,  and  you  may  inquire  of  this  from  your  Agent  [at 
Acre],  Mr.  Finzi. 

On  examination  you  will  find  how  I  have  been  maltreated, 
and  my  brother  also. 

I  may  add  that  I  thank  the  most  High  G-od  that  you  have 
thought  of  me  and  written  to  me ;  for  it  has  been  the  means 
afforded  me  of  acquainting  you  with  my  troubles.  I  therefore 
feel  myself  very  happy,  and  in  this  my  letter  I  beg  you  to 
assist  me  in  obtaining  justice,  and  you  may  be  sure  that 
nothing  shall  happen  from  me  against  the  wiU  of  the  govem- 
ment. 

May  God  save  you ! 

(Signed)  'Akbbli  bl  Hhasi. 

SdSmeh  (broth&r  of  the  above)  to  the  Englieh  ConstU. 

(After  compliments).  Acknowledging  receipt  of  your  letter 
the  contents  of  which  I  have  perfectly  understood,  and  have 
thanked  God  for  your  fevour,  it  is  necessary  to  acquaint  you 
with  what  is  going  on,  and  to  request  your  assistance  in  ob- 
taining for  us  justice. 

As  for  my  brother  'Akeeli  Aga,  I  will  bring  to  your  notice 
what  has  occurred  to  him,  and  entreat  your  zeal  to  have  justice 
done  him,  in  order  that  corruption  and  sowing  of  dissension 

may  be  arrested. 

As  for  myself  I  have  been  much  persecuted  in  the  Egyptian 
territory,  and  I  came  to  this  country  for  the  sole  purpose  of 
obtaining  redress  by  means  of  the  Sublime  Ottoman  govem- 
ment, so  as  to  cause  'Abbas  Pash&  to  set  free  my  sons,  and  also 


432  THE  AMEER   SA'AD  EP  DEEN. 

to  restore  my  property  which  had  been  taken  from  me  by  Hk 
Highness,  without  the  least  right  whatsoever. 

I  represented  to  all  the  Pashd.s  of  the  different  districts  of 
this  oountry  the  state  of  my  case,  but  never  met  with  success. 
On  the  contrary  they  always  tried  with  artifices  to  seize  and 
deliver  me  over  to  'Abbas  Pasha,  without  hearing*  our  com- 
plaint. 

On  receiving  your  letter  I  was  highly  pleased,  having  alwajs 
learned  that  the  English  government  loves  truth,  and  renders 
justice  to  whom  justice  is  due,  because  she  herself  is  just* 

I  entreat  your  government  through  your  mediation  to  9et 
free  my  sons  from  'Abbas  Pasha,  and  to  restore  to  us  our  pro- 
perty, for  so  we  should  obtain  justice. 

But  as  for  myself,  and  what  you  hear  fix>m  enemies  of  what 
we  are  doing  in  Safed,  it  is  all  falsehood  and  corruption.  Make 
enquiries  respecting  me  from  your  agents,  and  you  will  find 
that  when  the  Eastern  Arabs  came  to  this  district  and  plundered 
flocks  of  sheep,  &c.,  I  rode  off  with  my  horsemen,  and  fought 
the  Arabs  and  brought  back  to  the  owners  all  the  spoil  that 
they  had  taken — giving  to  the  people  full  protection,  in  order 
to  be  in  favour  with  the  Sublime  government,  and  I  promise  to 
remain  so. 

Begging  you  not  to  accept  any  future  complaints  about  me 
that  may  come  from  my  enemies, 

May  God  save  your  English  government  1 

(Signed)  SsLiiiEH  Tahawi. 

While  describing  the  state  of  the  North,  it  may  be 
recorded  that  at  Hhasbeya,  in  Anti-Lebanon,  the  Ameer 
Sa'ad  ed  Deen-esh-ShehS.bi,  who  governed  there,  had 
suffered  himself  to  speak  in  very  disrespectfiil  terms  of 
Queen  Victoria  in  presence  of  some  French  military 
officers ;  these  reported  it  to  their  Consul  in  Damascus, 
v^ho  took  no  steps.  He  was,  however,  called  to  account 
for  the  offence,  which  under  the  circumstances  of  the 


HE  IS  TAKEN  TO  CONSTANTINOPLK  433 

time  was  not  only  against  our  queen,  but  his  conduct 
was  treasonable  to  his  own  Sultan.  The  Ameer  was 
made  to  answer  for  it  in  Constantinople,  whither  he  was 
sent  a  prisoner  under  escort  of  our  high-spirited  British 
Consul,  Wood,  of  Damascus. 

After  his  return  home,  Sa'ad  ed  Deen,  in  his  own 
house,  expressed  to  me  his  regret  for  the  offence,  and 
described  the  treatment  he  had  received.  He  was 
put  hastily  on  board  a  vessel  at  Bayroot,  and  his  en- 
treaties refused,  which  he  pleaded  with  tears,  to  be 
accompanied  by  one  or  more  of  his  sons  who  had 
accompanied  him  so  far.  Then  he  arrived  at  Constan- 
tinople, amid  all  its  wondrous  sights,  and  was  sent  by 
Turkish  officials  through  dirty  and  winding  streets  to  the 
palace  of  the  Enghsh  Embassy.  There  he  was  taken 
through  successive  apartments  by  servants  in  showy 
dresses  into  a  vast  saloon  and  detained  there,  standing 
at  one  end  of  it,  while  at  a  distance  he  could  see  an 
old  man  and  his  secretary  busied  with  papers  over  a 
table. 

*  An  Ameer  of  the  Sheh&bs  of  the  Lebanon,  I,  an 
old  man,  was  kept  standing  in  silence  for  a  long  time ; 
but  at  length  that  old  man,  the  Ambassador,  rose  and 
came  to  me  without  compUments  or  invitation  to  be 
seated,  asked  me  my  name,  then  asked  again,  then 
pointed  to  my  white  beard,  and  said  he  thought  that 
such  a  beard  would  only  have  belonged  to  a  man^  to  a 
wise  man,  not  a  child.' 

This  Ambassador  then  ordered  the  attendants  to  con- 
duct him  to Pashk's  house,  to  be  dealt  with  by  the 

Turkish  authorities ;  but  to  be  shown,  before  returning 

VOL.  T.  P  P 


434  AND  RECEIVES  A  LESSON. 

to  Syria,  the  campe  of  the  French  and  English  armi^  as 
well  as  the  military  preparations  of  the  Porte  Prom  the 
Turkish  oflScials  he  received  reproaches  and  n^lect,  and 
when  he  was  without  money,  they  refused  to  supply  him, 
so  that  he  had  to  get  home  as  well  as  he  could,  bjr 
borrowing  from  common  money-lenders.  Such  was  his 
own  narrative,  and  in  giving  it  the  Ameer  spoke  onlT  in 
the  tone  of  a  person  who  felt  that  he  had  deserved  ii 
mild  punishment. 

The  well-timed  discipline  exercised  on  this  occaaon 
produced  most  excellent  effect.  The  Ameer  was  a 
staunch  protector  of  English  people,  and  what  was  mow 
valuable  still,  of  native  Christians  to  the  day  of  his  death, 
which  has  been  referred  to  on  a  previous  paga  He 
faithfully  protected  the  Christians,  and  he  and  his  sons, 
all  Moslems,  were  singled  out  and  murdered  during  the 
Lebanon  massacres  in  1860. 

Who  instigated  those  massacres?  Who  encouraged 
and  revived  the  fast  waning  fanaticism  of  the  Moslems? 

These  are  questions  that  ought  to  be  answered. 


435 


CHAPTEE  XVI. 

CORN  AT  FAMINE  PEICB. 

Distress  in  Jerusalem — Com  kept  out  of  the  Market — ^Poor  Jews  suffering 
— Oom  sent  for  by  us — ^Distribution  of  loaves — Oom  brought  in  by  a 
native — Snow  and  rain — Charitable  conduct  of  a  Moslem — Another  Mos- 
lem lowers  the  price — Good  harvest. 

In  our  more  immediate  neighbourhood  at  Jerusalem, 
fighting  was  still  going  on,  in  February,  when  the 
peasantry  ought  to  have  been  busy  with  their  ploughing 
and  with  their  seed ;  and  we  heard  of  battles  in  which 
wild  Arabs  were  engaged  on  the  side  of  Abu  Gosh  and 
Ibn  Simhh&n,  so  near  to  Jerusalem,  on  the  north  side,  as 
Beereh.  At  the  same  time  some  of  our  travellers  had 
se^n  a  body  of  sixty  Bedaween  on  the  banks  of  tlie 
Jordan.  Nevertheless  our  English  travellers  came  and 
went,  and  were  unmolested  by  any. 

If  there  were  disturbances  in  the  country  around  us, 
there  was  incalculable  misery  of  a  more  distressing  kind 
within  the  Holy  City.  Trade  of  every  kind  was  de- 
pressed, owing  to  the  war  and  to  the  consequent  small 
number  of  Christian  pilgrims  who  came  to  the  holy 
places. 

There  had  been  a  severe  outbreak  of  small-pox 
wards  the  close  of  the  previous  year,  1853,  and  this 
carried  off  a  considerable  number  of  Moslems,  who  by 
reason   of  their  fatalist  doctrines   objected   to  vaccina- 

P  F  2 


/ 

/ 

/ 


436  DISTRESS  AMONG  THE  JEWS. 

tion  as  a  means  of  prevention.  We  were  informed  diit 
in  three  weeks  eight  hundred  Moslem  children  had  died 
of  this  disease.  The  Christians  suffered  much  leas.  Ii 
was  said  that  no  Jews  died  of  this  complaint  at  this  time. 
The  Jewish  physician  vaccinated  200,  and  the  physidan 
of  the  Greek  convent,  300  children. 

The  winter  also  was  more  severe  than  usual— the 
rains  had  been  very  heavy  and  continuous  and  the 
winds  stormy.  From  all  of  these  causes  there  was  an 
unusual  amount  of  poverty  and  distress  among  the  poorer 
Christians  and  Moslems,  and  very  severe  distress  among 
the  Jews,  who  always  suffer  more  than  others  in  times 
of  trouble,  and  who  were  on  this  occasion  deprived  by 
reason  of  the  war  of  a  considerable  portion  of  the  chari- 
table funds  contributed  by  the  Jews  of  other  countries  for 
then*  support. 

The  Eussian  Jews  were  unable  to  send  money  as 
usual  from  Eussia  to  their  relations  and  to  the  Synagogue 
authorities,  and  hence  arose  a  most  serious  deficit  in  the 
funds  available  for  support  of  the  poor.  This  vrill  be  more 
fully  described  in  treating  of  the  condition  of  the  Jews. 

But  this  was  not  all,  nor  was  it  even  the  woist. 
Scarcity  of  food  prevailed,  and  threatened  to  become 
positive  famine. 

Notwithstanding  all  the  evil  reports  brought  upon  the 
Holy  Land  by  unbelievers  of  the  Bible  in  a  former  genera- 
tion, and  notwithstanding  the  opinions  formed  in  haste 
and  ignorance  by  travellers  thither  in  our  own  time,  pass- 
ing along  a  few  highways  under  the  conduct  of  dragomans 
who  are  generally  foreigners  to  the  country,  the  grdn 
produce  of  Palestine  is  still  enormous,  and  the  waste  of  H 


CORN  LANDS  IN  PALESTINE.         437 

yearly  by  the  plunder  of  wild  Arabs,  by  wilful  fires  be- 
tween hostile  factions,  and  by  the  mere  rotting  on  the 
ground  for  the  want  of  good  roads  towards  markets  in 
which  it  might  be  disposed  of,  is  deplorable  to  those  who 
really  know  the  facts. 

The  chief  com  country  in  respect  of  quantity  grown 
and  yielded  is  that  of  the  ancient  Philistines,  that  is,  the 
long  plain  along  the  coast  between  Carmel  and  Egypt. 

Other  localities  northwards  are  even  better  reputed 
as  to  the  quaUty  of  the  com,  such  as  TubSs  (Thebes),  and 
Hanoon  near  Nabloos  and  Alma  in  Upper  Galilee. 

Yet  the  distribution  of  bread  about  Palestine  is  often 
unequal,  owing  to  deficient  means  of  communication,  as 
said  above. 

It  may  therefore  be  easily  understood  that  distress 
was  brought  on  the  population  generally,  and  on  some 
classes  particularly,  when,  owing  to  the  necessities  of  the 
war,  the  regular  government  levy  on  the  produce  for 
public  service  (one  tenth  is  the  Government  due,  and  was 
levied  in  kind,  or  in  money)  was  largely  augmented  ;  and 
when  export  of  grain  was  prohibited,  or  its  removal  in 
any  other  direction  than  towards  the  capital,  where  the 
govemment  became  the  principal,  if  not  the  only,  pur- 
chaser at  its  own  price,  that  price  being  paid  in  paper 
kaimehs  for  small  sums  as  well  as  large. 

It  has  been  the  custom  from  immemorial  ages  for  the 
villagers  to  hoard  up  stores  of  grain  in  pits  with  cemented 
sides  prepared  in  the  ground;  these  provisions  are  not 
always  suflScient  for  the  year's  consumption,  though  they 
sometimes  far  exceed  it,  but  the  food  thus  in  store  is 
available  only  for  the  owners  who  are  the  leading  and 


438  PRICES  WICKEDLY  RAISED. 

^Wealthy  families  of  each]  place ;  the  poorer  very  oft« 
iiave  no  such  store — and  whole  villages  are  not  unfre- 
quently  reduced  to  buy  of  each  other,  and  Ihafc  ai 
enhanced  prices  as  the  season  advances,  or  if  seasonabk 
rains  have  been  delayed. 

In  January  of  this  year,  1854,  starvation  seemed 
impending  over  Jerusalem,  not  on  account  of  a  deficient 
harvest  in  the  previous  year,  far  from  it.  The  Providence 
of  God  had  liberally  opened  its  hand,  yet  all  things  hd 
not  been  filled  with  plenteousness.  This  arose  from  the 
rapacity  of  forestaUers  of  corn  purchases — ^rich  men  who, 
knowing  that  the  government  must  buy  grain  sooner  or 
later  for  the  army  at  any  price,  laid  in  great  supphes,  and 
then  kept  their  stores  concealed,  thereby  gradually 
raising  the  market  value,  till  it  rose  to  famine  price. 

Such  conduct  was  the  more  flagitious,  seeing  that  in 
accordance  with  the  primitive  customs  these  men  of  po- 
perty  had  their  own  domestic  reserves  available  for  thar 
family ;  and  thus  it  was  the  very  poor  just  in  proportion 
to  their  poverty  who  were  the  inevitable  sufferers. 

The  Committee  of  Government  were  powerless.  (B 
will  be  remembered  that  during  our  Interregnum  the 
Pashalic  was  held  by  a  Commission  of  three  oflicialv 
Nay  it  was  well  known  that  the  worst  criminals  were  to 
be  found  even  among  the  members  of  the  City  Mejlis  or 
Town  Council  of  the  Moslem  Arab  Effendis. 

Curses  loud  and  deep  '  filled  the  air.'  The  victims 
were  of  all  reUgions — Christian,  Moslem,  and  Jews. 

It  may  be  necessary  to  explain  that  none  in  Jerusalem 
but  the  poor  are  dependent  upon  the  daily  market  sup- 
plies of  corn,  oil,  fuel,  or  other  provitjioiis  capable  of^^'^^'r! 


I 
1 


CONVENT  STOBES.     POISONOUS  TARES.  439 

stored.  The  rich  natives,  and  even  the  peasantry  for  the 
most  part,  have  their  stores  of  all  these  things  laid  up  at 
the  time  of  harvest,  from  the  produce  of  their  lands. 
Others  who  have  means  buy  their  stores  for  the  year  at 
harvest  time  when  produce  is  cheap.  The  convents  also 
lay  up  provision  in  the  same  way. 

Excepting  at  harvest  time  when  the  peasantry  are 
selling  their  produce,  provisions  can  only  be  obtained  in 
the  market  from  retail  dealers,  who  take  advantage  of 
circumstances  to  increase  the  profits  upon  sale  of  the 
stores  which  they  have  bought  at  the  cheap  season,  and 
laid  up  for  sale  when  things  become  dear  in  the  winter. 

Hence  the  pressure  of  the  famine  prices  in  Jerusalem 
fell  with  full  weight  on  the  poor,  and  above  all  on  the 
Jews. 

The  great  convents,  Latin,  Greek,  and  Armenian, 
have  always  had  large  stores  of  grain,  fuel,  and  water.  In 
times  past  these  stores  were  indispensable  for  the  sub- 
sistence of  the  inmates,  who  in  troublous  periods  were 
often  shut  in  to  their  strongholds  for  weeks  together. 
These  convents  supplied  to  some  extent  the  distress  of 
their  own  poor. 

But  there  were  nevertheless  many  Christians  in  very 
great  distress  at  this  time;  and  also  some  Moslems, 
owing  to  the  diflBiculty  of  buyiag  com  for  bread. 

The  poor  sufferers  had  recourse  to  making  bread 
largely  mixed  with  mUl-stone  grit — even  with  earth  to 
increase  the  bulk — and  with  the  deleterious  Zuwan  (the 
^i^av*a  or  '  tares '  of  the  New  Testament  parable),  which 
is  always  carefully  sifted  out  from  the  com,  because  its 
effect  is  injurious  to  the  stomach,  besides  making  the  head 


440  WHEAT  FETCHED  FROM  HEBRON. 

giddy,  and  possessing  no  nutritive  power.  Some  peracns 
nearly  died  from  eating  of  this  bread  mingled  with  tsres. 
It  caused  vertigo  and  temporary  insanity. 

People  were  weeping  and  wailing  about  the  streets. 
On  February  10th,  a  piece  of  bread  thus  made,  and  sM 
exorbitantly  dear  in  the  common  market,  was  brou^ 
to  me  and  was  exhibited  at  the  weekly  evening  meeting 
of  our  Literary  Society.  It  was  of  a  bluish  slate  colour, 
coarse,  and  looked  imfit  for  human  food. 

That  same  morning  I  had  authorised  Abn  Ibrahim,  ft 
Christian  native  of  Nazareth,  a  man  accustomed  to  tisrel 
all  over  Syria,  and  among  the  Arabs,  and  well  versed  in 
agricultural  matters,  to  purchase  wheat  at  a  cheaper  price 
from  the  villages  near  Hebron,  even  if  necessary  from 
'Abderrahhm&n  'Amer  himseif  (he  was  known  to  have 
immense  stores). 

This  wheat  was  intended  to  be  sold  at  cost  price  in 
the  bazaars,  in  order  if  possible  to  bring  down  the  exor- 
bitant prices  of  the  forestallers,  or  to  compel  them  to 
bring  out  some  of  their  hoards.  Our  Nazareth  agent  was 
to  begin  by  bringing  in  500  measures  (250  bushels).  Of 
course  no  one,  whether  government  officials  or  others^ 
would  dare  to  molest  him,  or  to  seize  his  grain  under  the 
circumstances.  After  nine  days  he  returned  having  only 
succeeded  in  getting  100  measures  (five  camel-load5),' 
this,  however,  was  something  for  a  commencement. 

But  before  this  supply  could  arrive  in  Jerusalem,  the   . 
condition  of  the  Jewish  poor  became  alarming.     Not 
only  was  there  want  of  bread  and  want  of  com,  ex- 
cepting such  small  supplies  as  could  be  got  of  the  unsifted 
mixture,  often  half  mouldy — containing  the  deleterious 


SNOW  AND  STARVATION.  441 

zuwdn  or  tares — but  there  was  bitter  and  unusual  cold, 
^while  snow  lay  deep  on  the  mountains  and  filled  the 
streets  of  the  city. 

Fuel  could  not  be  got  because  the  state  of  the  roads 
prevented  the  peasantry  from  bringing  into  the  market 
any  supplies  of  wood  or  charcoal.  The  shppery  moun- 
tain tracks  were  too  dangerous  for  laden  camels  to 
traverse  with  their  smooth  and  sliding  feet,  and  the 
depth  of  snow  prevented  many  a  barefooted  peasant 
woman  from  bringing  her  usual  basket  of  faggots. 

Thus  the  poor  suffered  from  the  extremity  of  cold  as 
well  as  hunger,  having  most  of  them  no  covering  but 
the  thin  rags  with  which  they  had  been  clad  in  the 
summer.  The  British  Consulate  was  beset  by  starving 
crowds;  we  gave  away  aU  we  could,  and  then  the 
miserable  people  had  to  be  driven  away  by  force. 

I  had  already  drawn  up  and  sent  to  England  an 
appeal  for  funds  to  enable  us  to  relieve  the  destitute 
Jews  by  giving  them  employment.  But  in  those  days 
communication  was  slow,  and  before  any  reply  could 
arrive  we  found  ourselves  overtaken  by  what  threatened 
to  become  a  famine.  Some  people  had  been  already 
found  starved  to  death.  Instant  measiu'es  were  necessary, 
however  small  the  means  at  our  command. 

When  Abu  Ibrahim,  of  Nazareth,  returned  from 
Hebron  with  the  five  camel-loads  of  wheat,  we  obtained 
the  help  of  a  few  friends  on  the  spot,  who  subscribed 
money  enough  to  allow  of  our  purchasing  this  wheat  at 
once,  and  appropriating  it  to  the  immediate  need  of  the 
poor  Jews.  Loaves  were  baked  and  distributed  twice  a 
week.    The  making  and  baking  gave  employment  to  some 


I 
442  HEARTRENDING   SCENES. 

who  were  in  great  distress ;  but  the  famishing  boys  brcAe 
in  and,  snatching  up  the  unbaked  dough,  devoured  it 
The  bread  had  to  be  guarded  on  its  way  to  and  from  tk 
oven  by  kawwflsses  of  the  Consulate. 

The  Missionaries  (and  I  have  no  doubt  the  Bishop) 
were  bestowing  charitable  relief,  but  this  was  all  veij 
inadequate  to  meet  the  mass  of  misery  with  whidi  we 
had  to  cope. 

Ash  Wednesday  (March  Ist)  was  one  of  the  days  for 
distribution  of  the  loaves.  The  Jews  thronged  the  Churcli 
premises  and  the  door  steps  in  spite  of  a  pitiless  snow 
storm,  which  was  fidling  on  them — ^miserably  clad  as  they 
were.  Nine  inches  of  snow  lay  on  the  ground.  Divine 
service  was,  at  the  moment,  going  on.  (The  Consulate 
was  at  that  time  adjoining  the  Church.)  Some  of  them 
took  refuge  in  the  Church  itself  out  of  the  snow,  to  the 
amazement  of  the  clergy  officiating.  When  the  distn- 
bution  began,  the  spectacle  was  heartrending — ^the  blind, 
the  lame,  the  ragged,  the  old,  the  widowed,  presenting 
their  tickets  previously  given,  and  speaking  in  Hebrew, 
German,  Spanish,  or  Turkish ;  many  were  crying  i^^ 
mere  weakness — some  with  young  babies  in  arms,  some 
staggering  in  fever  or  ague  fits,  who  had  got  up  from  bed 
because  their  children  were  crying  for  food.  Most  were 
drenched  with  snow  and  rain,  and  perished  by  the  keen 
wind  blowing  through  their  summer  rags.  It  needed 
three  stout  kawwflsses  to  keep  ofi*  the  crowd.  One  had 
lost  a  shoe  in  the  scuffle,  and  cried  bitterly  because  it  was 
not  his :  it  had  only  been  lent  him  to  come  in. 

The  Moslem  kawwAsses  assisted  the  infirm  to  come 
forAvard;    and  oiu'   whole  houscliold,  official  ^wphy^'"^^ 


BREAD  AND  FUEL  DISTRIBUTED.  443 

native  servants,  and  men,  down  to  the  young  children, 
had  to  take  part  in  bringing  the  bread  quickly  up,  so  as 
to  enable  the  poor  creatures  to  be  dismissed  as  soon  as 
possible,  and  get  out  of  the  crushing  throng  and  out  of 
the  snow. 

Then  arose  a  cry  for  a  httle  fiiel,  if  it  was  only  a 
handftd  of  charcoal  apiece,  in  the  bitter  cold.  There 
was  some  small  supply  in  the  house,  which  had  a  back 
door:  to  that  back  door  each  person  was  passed,  after 
receiving  their  loaf — and  there  small  supplies  of  charcoal 
were  given  out  by  two  Spanish  Jewesses  who  served  us 
in  domestic  work.  The  poor  creatures  who  were  to  have 
this  fuel  had  no  vessel  in  which  to  receive  it,  but  pulled 
off  their  wretched  handkerchiefs,  which  served  for  turban 
or  girdle,  and  into  these  fuel  enough  to  warm  at  least 
one  meal,  or  cup  of  coffee,  was  put.  Those  too  old  or  too 
distressed  to  help  themselves  sat  down  shaking  and  cry- 
ing on  the  steps,  while  some  one  pulled  some  part  of 
their  dress,  even  their  jacket,  if  there  was  nothing  else, 
tied  up  a  httle  coal  in  it,  and  led  them  to  the  door  to 
make  way  for  others. 

The  supply  of  loaves  was  not  suflScient  for  the  starv- 
ing crowd,  but  as  the  Eev.  Mr.  Crawford,  then  one  of 
the  Missionaries  in  Jerusalem,  passed  by,  he  gave  us  half- 
a-sovereign,  with  which  more  bread  was  bought  in  the 
Bazaar  (by  our  kaww&s)  and  distributed  within  a  few 
minutes.  And  what  blessings  and  thanks  were  poured 
out  for  the  small  loaf  or  two  among  families  of  foiu-,  six, 
or  eight  persons!  What  a  strange,  sad  sight  was  that 
day's  scene  in  the  Iloly  City !  And  yet,  this  was  only  the 
begiiinilig. 


444  THE  COMING  OF  MESSIAH  DELAYED. 

On  the  preceding  Sabbath  (I  use  the  word   in  the 

Jewish  sense,  of  Saturday),  Rabbi  Y ,   one    of  the 

most  influential  of  his  class,  had  been  preaehing  in 
the  Synagogue  about  the  sin  of  delaying  the  coming  of 
Messiah,  by  accepting  bread  fix>m  the  Christians,  when 
one  of  the  congregation  interrupted  him,  exdaimiog  that 
the  sin  which  really  retarded  the  coming  of  Messiah  was 
to  be  found  in  the  injustice  and  extortions  practised  in 
Jerusalem. 

I  was  told  that  there  was  at  this  time  a  movement 
in  the  Jewish  quarter,  to  petition  Montefiore  and  Both- 
schild  to  appoint  the  English  Consid  trustee  for  the  distri- 
bution of  their  charitable  funds,  instead  of  the  Babbis. 
I  had  no  desire  for  such  an  addition  to  my  daily  labour, 
which  was  already  quite  sufficient,  besides  the  considera- 
tion of  the  odium  which  such  a  change  would  infallibly 
beget. 


EDITOR'S  NOTE. 

[What  the  daily  labour  here  referred  to  meant,  may  be 
gathered  from  the  following  notices,  which  appear  casually  in 
the  Journals  kept  at  the  time : — 

On  one  day,  official  visits  in  the  forenoon  (after  a  morn- 
ing of  reading  and  writing)  to  the  authorities  as  to  the  best 
means  of  restoring  tranquillity  in  the  country.  Despatches  and 
letters  dictated,  written,  and  sent  off  by  kawwasses  in  various 
directions. 

Next  day.  Travellers  just  arrived,  visited,  and  looked  after; 
— office  business.  Evening  lesson  in  modern  Greek.  Late  that 
night  confidential  interview  with  M —  on  the  sudden  death  of 
a  person,  who  proved  to  have  been  poisoned.  Up  till  3  o'clock 
in  the  morning  writing  despatches  for  Constantinople.   I,  though 


DAILY   LABOUR.  445 

in  very  feeble  health,  making  copies  as  fast  as  my  husband 
wrote  them. 

Next  day,  Sunday.  Official  proceedings  in  connection  with 
the  death  mentioned,  and  funeral — Church  services. 

Next  day,  Monday.  Kawwas  sent  off  to  Urtas  on  urgent 
business  there.  The  Consul  himself  following  alone  in  a  storm 
of  rain  (all  his  kawwasses  being  dispersed  on  duty  in  various 
paiis  of  the  country).  Home  in  evening  wet  through.  At 
night  he  escorted  Miss  Cooper  to  her  house  after  a  charitable 
meeting  which  she  had  attended  though  ill.  He  returned  alone 
with  her  small  lantern  in  hand,  through  torrents  of  rain  pour- 
ing and  water  running  down  the  hilly  streets. 

Next  day.  Besides  usual  business,  numerous  cases  of  Jewish 
distress. 

During  next  week  office  business  as  usual  of  all  kinds,  and 
unusual  work  on  the  accounts  with  shipping  and  trade  returns 
of  Sidon,  Tjrre,  Acre,  Caiffa  to  make  up.  *  Up  till  three  in  the 
morning  writing,'  is  another  entry,  and  again,  *  Up  very  late 
writing,  as  is  common  now.'  Again,  ^  For  some  days  oppressed 
with  mental  labour,  brains  tried  to  the  uttermost.'  Later  when 
all  the  travellers  were  gone,  and  throughout  the  summer  when 
rest  would  have  been  very  desirable,  the  press  of  business  was 
as  great  as  ever.  In  July  the  following  entry  occurs  in  the 
Journal — *  Days  so  filled  up  that  I  hardly  know  how  to  describe 
them.' 

These  were  the  notes  made  by  one  whose  delight  was  work, 
whose  favourite  saying  was  *  It  is  a  royal  thing  to  labour ;'  who 
never  sought  a  holiday ;  even  he  found  the  constant  strain  op- 
pressive. But  there  was  no  help  for  it.  Business  was  urgent : 
help  not  to  be  had.  And,  indeed,  but  few  of  the  very  many 
who  had  just  claims  on  the  attention  of  the  British  Consul, 
whether  residents  or  travellers,  would  have  been  content  to 
leave  their  business  in  any  other  hands  than  his  own.] 

That  same  day,  a  single  camel-load  of  wheat  came  into 
the  city,  brought  by  a  native. 


446  EFFECTS  OF  THE  SNOW. 

The  crowd,  striving  to  get  a  share  of  it,  was  so  gieat 
that  the  seller  had  to  raise  his  price  above  three  piasties 
a  measure,  in  order  to  reduce  the  number  of  the  snp- 
pliants. 

More  com  was  now  ready  to  be  brought  in,  but  freA 
snow  fialUng  and  lying  on  the  ground,  made  the  steq) 
roads  dangerous  for  camels  (with  their  soft,  smooth  feet), 
and  it  could  not  arrive. 

Day  and  night  the  snow  continued,  and  the  famine 
with  it. 

Yet,  in  an  agricultural  point  of  view,  a  snow-M  is 
always  looked  upon  as  an  omen  of  good,  more  so  tbm 
that  of  rain,  and  is  conadered  a  promise  of  excellent  har- 
vest to  succeed,  not  only  of  grain,  but  likewise  of  olives. 
The  well  of  En  Eogel  was  overflowing  down  the  Kedion 
Valley,  and  the  whole  city  and  country  were  under  snow. 

The  appearance  of  Jerusalem,  and  the  Mount  of  Olives 
thus  under  snow,  is  very  curious,  the  perspective  of  dis- 
tance becoming  strangely  distorted. 

^Travellers  were  either  detained,  or  had  to  return  ater 
once  starting  on  the  road ;  some  arrived  on  foot  all  the 
way  from  Jafia  or  from  Kamlah ;  the  irregular  and  broken 
ground  among  the  hills  being  concealed  by  a  bad  sutfec^ 
of  snow,  became  unsafe  for  horses'  tread.  Among  ^^ 
detained  travellers  were  oflScers  of  the  Coldstream  and 
PusUeer  Guards. 

This  inclement  weather,  which  had  set  in  on  the  W 
of  March,  continued  with  little  interruption  imtil  the  I2th. 
Rain  and  snow  fell  alternately.  On  the  morning  of  the 
9th,  the  frost  was  so  sharp  that  our  bedroom  windows, 
facing  west,  were  found  to  have  a  sheet  of  frost  inflow 


A  CHARITABLE  MOSLEM.  447 

On  the  10th,  there  was  plenty  of  ice  about,  and  the 
morning  was  clear.  Then  came  another  heavy  snow- 
fall, but  rain  set  in  next  day,  and  this  ended  in  a  thaw. 
What  wonder  that  there  were  deaths  from  starvation 
among  the  unfortunate  Jews,  destitute  of  both  food  and 
fiiel,  in  this  severe  weather,  so  unexpected  in  the  month 
of  March  ?  ^  When  Moslems  and  Christians  were  starving, 
one  could  imderstand  what  must  be  the  fate  of  the  Jews. 

Although  the  evil-minded  persons  who  were  mak- 
ing  their  profit  by  thus  keeping  back  the  corn  from  the 
market,  were  of  the  Moslem  Effendi  class,  there  were 
many  of  this  class  who  sufiered  severely  from  want. 
There  were  accoimts  given  to  us  of  Effendis,  who 
were  walking  himgry  about  the  streets,  though  clad  in 
rich  robes.  A  Moslem  lady  was  known  to  cut  oflF  her 
hair,  and  send  her  slave  to  sell  it  in  the  bazaar  for  bread. 
(Oriental  women  like  to  have  as  many  braids  of  hair  as 
possible,  and  often  wear  the  hair  of  other  persons,  or 
even  braids  of  silk,  to  make  a  greater  show.)  I  did  what 
I  could  in  expostulating  with  the  Town  Council  on  the 
state  of  things,  and  on  the  high  price  of  com  for  the  poor. 
The  destitution  became  very  alarming. 

I  heard  of  a  charitable  Moslem,  purchasing  fifty 
measures  of  wheat,  and  throwing  it  down  on  his  out- 
spread cloak  in  the  bazaar,  he  cried  out, '  I  have  hfted 
up  my  hand  to  the  most  High  God  to  sell  this,  out  of 
mercy,  for  a  less  price  than  I  gave  for  it.'  What  ensued 
may  be  easily  imagined. 

Had  there  been  an  active  Pashk  in  the  seat  of  govem- 

^  It  sometimes  happens  that  snow  falls  in  Jerusalem  even  later,  during 
and  at  the  end  of  the  first  week  in  April. 


448  THE  NEW   PASHA  GIVES  HKLP. 

ment,  much  of  all  this  misery  might  have  been  prevented. 
But  there  was  no  Pashk,  and  practically  no  government. 
The  members  of  the  Commission  were  too  closely  con- 
nected with  the  very  men  who,  by  their  greed  and  love 
of  gain,  had  brought  about  much  of  the  distress,  to 
attempt  to  interfere  with  any  vigour. 

A  Turk,  however  weak  and  indolent  he  might  be, 
could  have  been  influenced  for  good  in  the  public  in- 
terest. Being  a  stranger,  he  could  have  acted  if  ^ 
chose,  and  could  have  been  roused  by  energetic  rq)re- 
sentations  to  a  sense  of  the  responsibihty  he  would  iflcur 
by  letting  people  perish  of  famine,  while  there  was  com 
within  reach. 

The  interregnmn  was  now  near  its  end,  and  when  the 
new  Pashk  did  arrive,  resolute  measures  were  taken  for 
searching  in  towns  and  throughout  the  coimtry  for  hidden 
treasures  of  wheat  and  barley ;  and  the  owners  were  com- 
pelled  to  produce  them  for  sale  at  some  not  very  un- 
reasonable rate. 

This  increase  of  quantity  in  the  market  of  course 
lowered  the  prices;  but  vast  stores  were  still  undis- 
covered till  next  harvest  time,  when  the  hidden  pi^ 
were  opened.  Then  much  of  the  grain  was  found  to  be 
moulded  by  means  of  this  winter's  excessive  rains  and 
snow,  and  the  com  had  to  be  thrown  away  amid  the 
execrations  of  the  poor,  as  in  Proverbs  xi.  26. 

Happily  for  the  inhabitants  of  Jerusalem,  our  harvert 
was  abundant,  and  new  wheat  was  brought  into  the 
Jerusalem,  market  about  the  middle  of  May.  A  po^^ 
Moslem  brought  in  about  one  hundred  measures,  i-^- 
five  camel-loads,  and,  pouring  it  out  in  the  market,  said 


PHICE  OF  T^HEAT  REDUCED.  449 

that  he  had  swom  to  God  to  sell  his  first  new  wheat  at 
14  piastres  per  measure,  and  in  quantities  not  exceeding 
three  measures  to  any  one  person  (in  order  to  prevent 
interested  persons  jfrom  buying  it  all  up).  This  act 
instantly  brought  down  wheat,  from  the  imheard  of 
price  to  which  it  had  risen  of  27  and  30  piastres  per 
measure,  to  15.  It  rose  again  in  a  day  or  two  to  21  and 
23,  but  even  this  reduction  was  an  immense  boon. 


VOL.  I.  GO 


450 


CHAPTER  XVn. 

AfiBIYAL  OF  TAKOOB  PASHA. 

A  Pasbft  of  andent  fomilj — Quiet  restored — ^Pilgrims — Qieeks — MoAeoB- 
Indian  and  Tartar  Durweeahee  and  Oonyents — ^EBtabliahment  of  a  Spimik 
Conaulate — ^French  war  shipa  on  the  coast — French  plgrims— LatiD 
Patriarch's  triumph  in  Bait  Jala — ^English  Travellers — Queen's  Srtfadr 
— Kubrisli  Pashik  now  Ghrand  Vizier — ^Arrest  of  three  Effendis— Chief  d 
the  Police  arrested  at  the  instance  of  the  British  Consulate  andconrieted 
of  robbery — ^No  English  ships  on  the  coast — ^News  and  rumours— Posi- 
tion of  Austria  and  PruasiA — ^News  of  the  War,  both  true  and  /alse. 

Thb  interregnum  at  last  came  to  an  end. 

The  new  Pashk  was  announced  on  March  5th,  ^ 
already  arrived  at  Jaffa.  We  had  been  told  that  he  vas 
a  man  of  far  higher  station  than  had  ever  before  been 
appointed  to  the  Fashalic  of  Jerusalem. 

This  Pashk  was  named  Takoob,  and  was  a  descendant 
of  the  famous  old  and  wealthy  family  of  Kara-Osman- 
Oglu,  in  Asia  Minor. 

*  We  Moslems  reck  not  much  of  blood. 
But' yet  the  line  of  Caragmiin 
Unchanged,  unchangeable  hath  stood.'  ^ 

Hitherto,  the  Turks  sent  to  Jerusalem  had  been  men 
who  had  risen  from  the  ranks,  and  who  had  no  fionily 
distinction  whatever.  One  or  two  had  been  men  of  some 
force  of  character,  but  they  were  exceptions  to  the  rule, 
the  great  majority  being  insignificant  and  merely  ad* 
venturers,  while  some  were  absolutely  illiterate. 

1  'Bride  of  Abydos.' 


A  PASHA  OF  HIGH  FAMH^T.  451 

In  eleven  days  after  disembarking,  our  new  governor, 
Yakoob  Pashk,  entered  Jerusalem.  He  was  old,  like 
his  predecessor,  and  was  said  to  be  eighty-four.  He 
held  the  same  rank  of  W&li,  or  Musheer,  i.e.  a  Pash& 
of  three  horse-tails.  He  was,  therefore,  addressed  as 
DowUtlu  Efendim,  instead  of  '  Sa'adetlu  Effendim,'  which 
wa^  the  proper  form  in  addressing  the  usual  class  of  pro- 
vincial  Pashks,  who  were  *Muteserref '  of  two  horse-tails. 

The  arrival  of  so  high  a  functionary,  whether  com- 
petent or  not  to  establish  order  permanently  among  the 
turbulent  factions  of  the  rural  districts,  might  be  expected 
to  give  at  least  a  temporary  'spurt'  to  the   Ottoman 
domination,  and,  as  such,  the  Pashk  was  heartily  wel- 
comed by  the  civic  population.     His  Excellency's  rank 
was,  however,  by  no  means  indicated  by  the  retinue 
brought  with  him :  they  were  only  of  the  class  to  which 
we  had    been    accustomed — ^hungry    pipe-bearers    and 
slipper-carriers,  from  the  hangers-on  of  the  metropolis 
— ^but  who  lived  in  hopes  of  being   transformed  into 
governors  of   towns,  secretaries,  &c.      The    miserable 
apartments,  for  residence  and  business,  in  the  Seragho, 
remained  as  before;  and  anyone  among  us  who  might 
not  be  a  favourer  of  Turkish  existence,  would  hail  the 
decrepit  octogenarian  now  arrived,  as  a  fitting  repre- 
sentative of  'the  sick  man'  about  to  vanish  from  the 
world's  notice. 

The  Consuls,  as  may  be  supposed,  watched  the  advent 
of  the  new  Pathk  with  special  interest  at  such  a  critical 
period.     Whatever  others  might  know,  the  Enghsh  Con- 
sulate had  no  information  as  to  his  official  antecedents, 
and  could  form  no  guess  as  to  the  line  of  conduct  he  was 

ee  2 


452  VI8ITS  OF  CEREMONY. 

likely  to  adopt  under  the  circumstances.  Tfia  age  indh 
cated  nothing,  for  his  white  beard  might  have  represented 
an  'Ah  Fashk  of  Tanina,  or  a  decrepit  Doge  of  Venice 
in  earlier  times,  only  that  the  Tanzim&t  would  allow  of 
neither  in  1854. 

The  rule  was  that,  on  the  arrival  of  a  new  Faahii, 
visits  of  ceremony  were  paid  to  him  by  the  Consuls  (in 
full  uniform)  and  by  all  the  civil  and  religious  digni* 
taries.  The  Pashk  gave  me  a  most  friendly  reoeptioD. 
But  meeting  with  the  Anglican  Bishop  and  the  clergy  on 
the  return  from  their  visit,  they  expressed  dissatisfactioii 
with  the  amount  of  civility  accorded  to  them.  His  Ex- 
cellency had  departed  from  usual  custom,  and  had  ndther 
risen  to  receive  them,  nor  had  offered  them  pipes. 

The  village  magnates  also  came  to  pay  their  court 
to  the  new  Fashk,  and  some  of  these  men  played 
the  hypocrite  for  temporary  purposes.  One  day  Blw/ 
Mustafa  Abu  Gosh  came  to  visit  me,  deploring  the  past 
dissensions,  and  desiring  to  make  peace  with  the  Coo- 
sulate,  as  the  'Dowleh'  (government)  and  he  were  fiow 
reconciled.  'Abderrahhm&n  el  Amer,  of  Hebron,  came 
with  two  of  his  brothers,  to  whom  he  was  now  reconcfled 
*  under  the  favour  of  Dowletlu  el  BashS.'  and  did  the  same; 
and  a  third  chief,  Muslehh  el  Azizi,  of  Bait  Jibreen,  having 
also  seen  His  Excellency,  *  could  not  think  of  leaving  the 
dty,  in  returning  homewards,  without  visiting  the  English 
Consul,  and  assuring  him  of  the  universal  satisfiurtion  in 
having  so  good  a  Pashk,'  also  expressing  fervent  vows, 
that  *  now  the  world  was  to  be  at  rest,  Inshallahl* 

What  could  I  do  with  these  malefactors  when  they 
thus  presented  themselves,  in  amity  with  each  other  and 


VILLAGE  CHIEES  PAY  HOMAGE.  453 

with  the  Government,  their  only  legal  judge,  but  receive 
them  and  treat  them  to  pipes  and  coffee  ?  All  the  fault 
I  had  ever  had  to  find  with  them  had  been  in  the  interest 
of  their  own  Government. 

How  long  this  amiable  sociality  among  the  village 
c}iie£3  and  their  Turkish  rulers  lasted,  we  shall  have  an 
opportunity  of  seeing  hereafter.  It  was  ominous  that 
some  days  later  a  fourth  of  tibese  potentates  came  to  me 
— ^Mohammed  'Abd  en  Nebi,  of  the  opposite  faction — 
entreating  for  favour,  and  to  be  backed  at  the  Seraglio. 
That  day  week  after,  he  was  in  prison,  which  was,  no 
doubt,  the  result  of  coalition  among  the  others,  now  lately 
reconciled. 

The  Government  officials  continued  as  venal  and 
peculating  as  ever,  from  the  highest  to  the  lowest — ^from 
Yakoob  Kara  Osman  Oglu  himself  down  to  the  poorest 
Tufenkchi  (Tufenkchies,  gunners,  i.e.  gens  d'armes  or 
pohce)  inclusive,  and  the  people  suffered  in  consequence. 
There  was  naturally  a  court  party  about  the  Seraglio 
entirely  satisfied  with  that  state  of  things,  rule  by  bribery  ^ 
being  the  only  known  form  of  Oriental  government  ever 
since  the  days  of  Ibrahim  Fashk  (except,  perhaps,  for  a 
while  in  Mehmet  Kubrisli  Pashk's  time),  and  it  was  one 
that  most  particularly  suited  their  private  pecuniary 
interests. 

Within  a  very  few  days  the  villagers  of  Ain  Karem, 
with  their  elders,  came  to  Jerusalem,  imploring  help  from 
the  French  and  English  Consuls,  representing  then: 
grievances  against  the  Pashk  himself,  on  account  of 
enormous  extortions  and  personal  receipt  of  bribes. 

It  must  be  remembered  that  all  the  above-named 


/ 


454  QUIET  RESTORED. 

/ 

local  chiefs  had  been  implicated  on  one  side  or  the  oths 
during  last  year's  village  wars ;  and  doubtless  the  new 
Pashk  was  informed  by  the  Effendis  of  the  city,  connected 
with  the  various  factions,  of  the  existing  rivalries,  and 
was  able  to  profit  by  them  when  receiving  the  customaiy 
visits  of  congratulation  and  loyalty  on  his  installation  in 
office.  Hereafter  we  shall  see  that  as  the  Pashk  became 
more  feeble,  and  after  his  death,  the  feuds  broke  out 
afresh.  But,  for  the  present,  order  prevailed.  Doubtles 
the  Government  at  Constantinople  had  instructed  the 
Pashk  to  put  down  disturbances,  or  at  least  to  discour^ 
them.     All  was  now  quiet. 

The  Pashk  also  received  visits  of  homage  fi*om  the 
Tokan  family  of  Nabloos,  whose  rivals,  the  'Abdul  Hfidi, 
had  for  some  time  held  the  post  of  Governor  of  that 
city. 

Within  two  months  the  Tok&n  were  installed  in  office, 
and  the  'Abdul  Hftdi  dispossessed.  It  was  no  doubt 
poUtic  at  this  juncture  to  have  that  important  town  In  the 
hands  of  a  family  whose  loyalty  to  Turkish  rule  was  long 
and  well  tried. 

In  Jerusalem  itself  we  had  settled  down  into  die 
usual  routine  ot  busmess  by  the  middle  of  April,  and  we 
were  free  from  any  immediate  dread  of  invasion  by  either 
a  Russian  or  a  French  army. 

Our  chief  anxiety  at  present  was  lest  there  should  not 
be  enough  bread  to  eat — ^unless  the  coming  harvest 
should  prove  to  yield  enough  for  this  country,  and  also 
to  satisfy  the  requisitions  of  the  army  at  the  seat  of 
war. 

So  extraordinary  a  year  for  rain,  snow,  and  cold  had 


GREEK  PILOBIMS.  455 

not  been  known  to  the  oldest  inhabitant ;  snow  had  even 
fallen  at  Jafia — a  thing  unheard  of  at  that  low  level. 
In  Jerusalem  it  had  lain  deep  for  days  together.  Nine 
inches  of  snow  on  the  ground,  and  more  falling,  had 
been  seen  more  than  once  smce  January.  On  Easter 
Monday,  April  17,  we  were  glad  to  sit  by  the  fireside. 
Torrents  of  water  had  flowed  down  the  valleys,  but  all 
this  was  good  for  the  crops,  and  the  harvest  promised 
well.  Prices,  however,  continued  distressingly  high,  and 
had  pilgrims  arrived  m  the  usual  numbers,  there  must 
have  been  a  general  famine.  There  was  a  fearful  amount 
of  distress,  but  as  this  was  mostly  among  the  Jews,  I 
will  give  the  details  in  speaking  about  them. 

The  usual  petty  trade  of  Jerusalem  was  bad,  for 
although  travellers  were  numerous  this  year,  and  came 
from  America  as  well  as  from  the  various  countries  of 
Europe,  pilgrims  were  very,  very  scarce.  The  uncer- 
tainties consequent  on  the  war  had  deterred  them  from 
coming.  Indeed,  during  the  early  part  of  the  year  it 
had  been  supposed  that  Greece  was  also  about  to  declare 
war,  and  in  that  case  Greek  pilgrims  would  have  found  it 
impossible  to  visit  Jerusalem  in  safety.  So  great  was  the 
anxiety  on  this  subject  that  the  few  pilgrims  of  the 
Oriental  creeds  in  Jerusalem  made  their  excursion  to  the 
Jordan  a  fortnight  before  the  usual  time.  Moslem  pil- 
grimages to  Neby  Moosa  and  Easter  celebrations  went 
on  as  usual. 

It  was  painftd  to  hear  on  Gbod  Friday  the  beating  of 
drums  and  the  shouts  of  the  Mohammedan  pilgrims  who, 
with  flags  flying,  thronged  the  streets  on  their  way  to  or 
from  the  Sanctuaries,  either  in  Jerusalem  or  at  Neby 


456  MOSLEM  PILGRIMS. 

Moosa,  near  the  Dead  Sea,  where  the  reputed  tomb  d 
the  prophet  Moses  is  visited  at  this  season  by  devotee 
from  all  parts  where  the  professors  of  Islllm  are  to  be 
found.  It  is  always  a  matter  for  congratulation  wben 
these  pilgrimages  come  to  an  end  without  any  collision 
having  occurred  between  fanatics  from  among  either  lie 
Moslem  or  the  Christian  pilgrims. 

Some  of  the  Moslems  of  the  town  fell  upon  and  b^ 
three  Abyssinian*  Christians.  They  appealed  to  me  for  re- 
dress as  I  was  walking  across  the  premises  of  our  churdi; 
I  sent  to  the  Pashk,  who  at  once  imprisoned  the  MosIeiM, 
and  so  put  an  end  to  the  matter.  This,  however,  hd 
nothing  to  do  with  the  pilgrimages  of  either  Moslems  or 
Christians,  which  had  passed  off  quietly. 

Mohammedan  pilgrims  resort  to  Jersusalem  from  ^ 
the  countries  of  Asia  and  of  Africa,  where  Isl&m  is  knom 
Many  com«  from  India  every  year  to  attend  the  grea* 
pilgrimage  to  the  reputed  tomb  of  Moses  at  Neby  Moosa 
in  the  spring  season. 

Thus  it  happened  that  we  had  many  British  subjects 
among  these  Moslem  pilgrims.  There  were  also  BritisD 
subjects  among  the  resident  Moslems — sometimes  as 
many  as  forty  were  living  together  in  Jerusalem.  AmoDj 
the  crowds  of  famine-stricken  Jews  that  crowded  around 
oiu-  door,  amid  the  snow  in  March,  an  unfortunate  Indian 
Durweesh  one  day  presented  himself,  in  the  hope  (oi 
course,  not  disappointed)  that  he  too  might  receive  a  W 
of  bread. 

In  Jerusalem,  and  in  proximity  to  the  Hharam  esn 
Shereef  (Noble  Sanctuary),  there  are  endowed  houses 
(commonly  called  Convents)  for  reception  of  Moslem  p" 


PILGRIMS  FROM  INDIA.  457 

grims  coming  from  the  remote  East.  Here  they  have 
free  lodging  and  some  allowance  of  food.  One  of  these 
houses  is  allotted  to  Indians  (Hinood),  and  another  to 
Tartars.^ 

Into  the  latter,  the  Usbekiyeh  (house  for  Usbeg 
Tartars),  I  once  accompanied  a  party  of  EngUsh  travel- 
lers, being  driven  in  for  shelter  from  a  ftirious  storm  of 
rain.  One  of  the  English  company  was  on  return  from 
high  Government  office  in  Burmah,  and  he  fell  into 
conversation  with  the  President  of  the  place,  in  Persian. 
This  Shaikh  was  from  Bokhara. 

To  the  other  Teklyeh  (the  Hindoo)  I  often  escorted 
Indian  civil  and  military  officers  (of  whom  many  used 
to  pass  through  Jerusalem),  and  partook  of  the  hospi- 
tality of  these  Indian  subjects  of  her  Majesty,  of  their 
hookah  and  coffee,  or  sherbet,  the  visitors  meanwhile 
chatting  in  Persian  or  in  Hindustani — shaded  luxuriously 
by  a  vine  treUis,  and  overlooking  a  prospect  of  the 
sacred  precincts  within  the  Hharam.  The  inmates  of  this 
house  were  most  conmionly  Punjabee  Moslems,  but  some 
were  Bengalees.  One  visitor  discovered  a  Eajpoot 
among  these  residents  in  the  Indian  Convent,  and  was 
not  at  all  prepossessed  by  his  manners. 

Indians  sometimes  came  to  me  to  the  Consulate.  Once 
I  was  honoured  by  a  visit  from  a  well-dressed  gentleman 

^  These  Tartars  are  Sunnis.  Our  Mohammedans  of  Turkey  being  also 
Sttnnis,  make  it  a  point  to  uphold  the  title  of  the  Ottoman  Sultan  as  OaUph 
of  their  orthodox  pilgrimB  from  all  regions  of  the  world.  '  The  Turkish 
l^Gssion '  at  Tehran  exercises  a  sort  of  patronage  based  on  the  sentiment  of 
conmion  (Turkish)  origin  and  common  orthodoxy^ — ^but  devoid  of  aU  political 
character — towaids  these  Central  Asiatic  pilgrims,  protecting  them  as  its 
clients,  and  furnishing  them  with  a  dole  of  money  out  of  the  Sultan's  bounty. 
(Selection  from  the  Writings  of  Viscount  Strangford^  vol.  ii.  p.  137.) 


458  DURWEESHES.     THUGS. 

from  Delhi,  and  on  my  remarking  his  perfection  in 
speaking  English,  he  replied,  in  a  tone  of  voice  y^(^ 
expressed  discomfort,  *  Yes,  it  is  the  language  of  our 
masters,  and  we  have  to  learn  it.' 

I  was  afterwards  honoured  by  a  visit  from  a  Durweeah 
in  miserable  rags  (also  a  British  subject),  named  Sayid 
Meer  'Ali,  conversant  with  many  Oriental  languages,  who 
presented  a  petition  for  alms  in  Persian,  in  which  ke 
described  himself  as  '  the  dust  of  the  earth  beneath  the 
soles  of  the  feet  of  his  Excellency,'  which  is  a  canting 
phrase  among  such  mendicants,  and  is  used  by  Dur- 
weeshes  in  Saadis'  Quhst4n.     We  conversed  in  Arabia 

It  once  happened  that  on  paying  a  viat,  as  I  had  often 
done  before,  with  an  Indian  civil  officer,  to  the  Indian 
Teklyeh  (or  Convent  for  Moslem  pilgrims)  for  a  gossip  on 
his  part  in  Hindustani  or  Persian,  or  some  other  dialect 
of  the  further  East,  I  remarked  that  he  paid  particular 
attention  to  two  of  the  inmates — ^putting  them  under  some 
degree  of  catechisation.  In  returning  homewards  he 
expressed  his  strong  idea  that  these  men,  as  well  as  some 
others  he  had  met  at  Jericho,  were  members  of  the  Thug 
society,  and  urged  me  to  communicate  on  the  subject 
with  the  Thuggery  department  of  Bengal.  He  furnished 
me  with  a  letter  from  himself  for  use  in  doing  so.  That 
step  was  therefore  taken,  and  in  due  time  a  replf 
arrived  from  the  superintendent  to  the  eflfect  that,  from 
the  indications  afforded,  it  was  improbable  the  suspicion 
could  be  well  foimded. 

It  has  been  often  asked  what  subject  pertaining  to 
any  country  in  the  world  has  not  some  chord  in 
vibration  with  Jerusalem.    Who  would  have  previously 


SPANISH  CONSULATE  ESTABLISHED.      459 

thought  of  the  Thuggee  question  ever  rising  up  amongst 
us  there  ?  Next  year,  however,  we  had  sufficient  annoy- 
ance from  Indian  pilgrims  connected  with,  and  in  antici- 
pation of,  the  outbreak  of  the  great  Indian  Eevolt. 

The  failure  of  Christian  pilgrims  this  year  chiefly 
arose  from  the  Greeks  being  afraid  to  come  as  supposed 
partisans  of  Eussia  in  the  war.  But  Latin  interests  were 
in  the  ascendant. 

Among  the  events  of  this  period  connected  with  the 
Latin  Christians,  as  well  as  with  the  European  influences 
in  Jerusalem,  was  the  institution  of  a  new  Consulate, 
namely,  that  of  the  kingdom  of  Spain,  which  was  now 
represented  in  the  person  of  Don  Pio  de  Andrea  Garcia, 
*  Caballero  del  real  orden  de  Carlos  tercero  y  aun  de 
Isabella.' 

An  expectation  then  floated  in  the  air  that  this  ap- 
pointment must,  to  some  extent,  modify  the  form  or 
range  of  French  protection  of  Christianity — seeing  that 
the  Spanish  monarchy  enjoyed  the  title.  Papally  bestowed, 
of  *  Most  Catholic'  The  Spanish  friars,  at  least  within 
the  Convents,  imagined  so,  particularly  those  in  the  Con- 
vents of  'Ain  Karem  or  St.  John  in  the  Wilderness  (south- 
west of  Jerusalem,  about  6  miles  ofi*),  which  is  wholly 
Spanish  property. 

It  may  be  here  stated,  in  anticipation  once  for  all, 
that  this  hope  of  the  Spanish  monks  was  never  realised. 
The  French  held  fast  their  protectorate,  even  as  super- 
seding within  the  Convents  the  rights  of  nationality,  that 
is  to  say,  persons  of  Spanish  birth  having  taken  upon 
themselves  the  Franciscan  or  Carmelite  vows,  found  that 
while  they  were  residing  within  the  Ottoman  Empire 


460         FRENCH  PROTECTORATE  OF  CHRISTIANS. 

they  had  become  practically  subjects  of  the  Prenci— 
a  nation  which  they  especially  dislike ;  and  not  only  this, 
but  their  conventual  property  was  only  their  own  as 
under  French  protection. 

In  this  respect  the  Spaniards  are,  however,  no  worse 
off  than  Austrians  (or  any  other  Boman  Oatholics), 
though  the  Austrians  also  have  a  Consul,  belonging  to 
their  own  nation,  resident  in  Jerusalem,  who  had  no  more 
power  of  acting  for  Austrian  monks  than  the  Spanish 
Conmil  had  of  acting  for  Spanish  monks.  Italian  friais 
are,  of  course,  in  the  same  case.  They  are  always  nume- 
rous in  the  Holy  Land,  and  the  office  of  President^  (x 
Custos,  in  the  ^  Terra  Santa '  headquarters  at  Jerusalem 
is  always  held  by  an  Itahan.  But  these  latter  did  not 
so  much  feel  the  inconvenience  of  being  under  Prendi 
jurisdiction,  seeing  that  since  1849  they  had  had  no 
Consul  of  their  own,  and  all  the  other  interests  of  Italy 
had  been  committed  to  the  care  of  France,  in  the 
absence  of  any  Italian  Consul. 

The  reason  for  what  at  first  sight  seems  to  be  a 
strange  arrangement  is  to  be  found  in  the  interpretation 
given  to  the  phrase,  'Protector  of  Christianity  in  the 
East.'  This  being,  as  has  been  before  explained,  one  of 
the  titles  accorded  to  France,  in  times  past,  by  the  Sultans 
of  Turkey,  has  been  interpreted  to  mean  that  all  Chris- 
tian (Latin)  interests  within  the  Turkish  Empire  must  be 
protected  by  and  through  the  French  authorities,  and  by 
them  alone.  Every  question,  therefore,  which  concerns 
the  religious  establishments  of  the  Latins,  must  be  dealt 
with  by  their  French  protectors,  who  have  the  exclusive 
right  of  interference  on  their  behalf. 


NO  SPANISH  SUBJECTS.     '  461 

Personal  and  purely  secular  interests  may,  of  course, 
be  otherwise  treated ; — an  Italian,  Spaniard,  or  Austrian 
would,  of  course,  go  to  his  own  national  Consul,  where 
either  personal  or  secular  interests  were  involved.  Monks, 
however,  within  Convents,  cannot  be  said  to  have  either 
personal  or  secular  interests  apart  from  those  of  the  com- 
munity with  which  they  are  incorporated,  and  all  the 
religious  communities  come  under  the  jurisdiction  and 
protectorate  of  France. 

So  it  came  to  pass  that  the  worthy  gentleman  who 
arrived  in  Jerusalem  as  Spanish  Consul  had  at  that  time 
no  duties  to  perform — unless,  by  very  rare  chance,  a 
traveller  from  the  Western  Peninsula^  visited  Jerusalem. 
The  Spanish  Consulate,  therefore,  turned  its  attention  to 
the  Jewish  quarter  for  procuring  subjects,  even  from 
among  the  very  people  who  had  been  expelled  wholesale 
from  their  most  Catholic  country  in  1492.  But  the 
Sephardim,  i.e.  the  Spanish  and  Portuguese  Jewish 
families  of  Jerusalem,  had  been  now  nearly  four  centuries 
settled  as  Turkish  subjects,  and  therefore  could  not  be 
had.  I  heard,  however,  that  after  a  time  two  Jewish 
families,  arriving  fresh  from  Gran,  accepted  the  Spanish 
protection,  desiring  anything  rather  than  to  be  accounted 
Turks.  Under  the  circumstances  here  described,  and  with 
so  slender  a  body  of  subjects  for  his  jurisdiction,  the  very 
dazzling  uniform  of  the  Spanish  Consid,  and  fiiU  staff  of 
official  retainers,  were  as  empty  of  significance  as  Queen 
Isabella's  title  of  Sovereignty  in  America,  or  as  the  Arch- 

^  I  belieye  that  the  Oongalate  was  also  comnusaioiied  for  Portuguese 
affairs.  South  Americans  might  also^  if  they  chose^  haye  the  same  protection, 
but  these  would  give  but  very  trifling  additions  to  the  Oonsular  duty.  I 
never  heard  of  any  persons  from  those  American  countries  having  arrived. 


462  FRENCH  WAB  SHIPS. 

bishop  of  Toledo's  office  as  Patriarch  of  the  Indies.  Bat 
our  little  European  society  gained  a  pleasant  addition 
in  M.  and  Madame  de  Gtarda  and  their  suite,  and  pure 
CastOian  was  thenceforward  added  permanently  to  the 
languages  spoken  in  our  drawing-rooms. 

French  ships  of  war  were  now  more  frequently  seen 
upon  the  coast  of  Palestine  than  heretofore.  Ther 
officers  visited  the  Holy  City,  and  in  their  presence  the 
native  Latin  Christians  lifted  up  their  heads  with  cheerftl 
expectation.  But,  nevertheless,  I  do  not  remember  any 
instance  of  insulting  triumph,  or  of  undue  advantage, 
taken  by  the  Latins  over  their  *  orthodox '  brediren 
— ^the  natives  belonging  to  the  Eastern  Churches,  who 
were  therefore  supposed  to  be  identified  with  the  Bussiafl 
cause,  and  who  had  now  no  naval  or  military  patronage 
on  their  side. 

To  aU  outward  appearance  the  Convents  of  ik 
rival  churches  also  kept  peace  with  each  other;  eva 
the  inveterate  disputes  between  them,  to  which  the 
public  had  so  long  been  accustomed,  were  now  suspende(l, 
partly  because  the  Sanctuary  difficulties  had  been  to 
some  extent  decided  by  the  superior  lay  authority  of  the 
Gtovemment,  whose  aid  had  been  invoked  by  both  parties, 
and  partly  because  the  Presidents  of  the  Convents  on  each 
side  had  the  wisdom  to  perceive  that  collisions  during 
this  period  of  national  war  could  not  but  lead  to  ulterior 
and  wider  compUcations. 

In  April  there  arrived  a  second  large  body  of  frend 
pilgrims  to  the  Holy  Land,  six  of  whom  were  clergy,  ^^ 
one  a  baron.  They  paid  at  the  English  Consulate  a  visit 
of  ceremony.     Their  two  guides  and  conductor,  being  th^ 


FRENCH  PILGRIMS.  463 

pne  an  Englishman  bom  and  the  other  a  British  subject 
(Latin  Maltese),  was  the  reason  for  this  visit  being,  to 
some  extent,  a  visit  of  business,  as  well  as  for  friendly 
civility,  as  through  the  conductor  and  his  Consulate  the 
necessary  arrangements  were  made. 

The  visitors  expressed  a  hope  that  they  might  receive 
as  much  assistance  in  their  expedition  to  the  Jordan  and 
the  Dead  Sea  as  they  courteously  acknowledged  their 
predecessors — ^the  last  French  party — had  received.  (It 
wiU  be  remembered  that  the  former  party  had  been  in 
danger  of  not  getting  to  the  Jordan  at  all,  untU  we 
succeeded  in  releasing  their  baggage  animals,  which  the 
Turkish  authorities  had  impressed  for  Government  ser- 
vice in  the  removal  of  troops  to  the  seat  of  war.) 

The  good  offices  to  be  rendered  by  us  consisted  not 
only  in  our  protecting  their  riding  and  baggage  nniTnals 
from  the  '  Sukhr '  (Government  impressment),  but  also  in 
making  arrangements  for  their  escort,  according  to  the 
contract  made  at  the  British  Consulate  with  the  Arab 
tribes,  who  monopolised  the  privilege  of  conducting 
travellers  through  their  territories  in  that  direction, 
according  to  certain  terms  of  a  tarif  agreed  upon,  and 
which  was  not  to  be  exceeded.^ 

1  This  contract  was  of  great  utility  during  the  period  when  Turkish  rule 
was  practically  a  nonentity.  It  preyented  the  Arah  tribes  from  extorting 
money  at  their  own  discretion,  or  eyen  fighting  skirmishes  with  each  other 
upon  the  high  road  for  possession  of  trayellers.  Each  tribe  undertook  the 
duty  of  escort  and  guard,  in  regular  rotation.  The  fees  were  fixed  and 
moderate,  and  were  neyer  exceeded.  During  this  summer,  1854,  we  succeeded 
in  making  a  further  contract  with  the  Adw&n  Arabs  for  escort  beyond  Jor- 
dan to  Ammd.n  and  Jerash.  Old  '  Abdu'l  Azeez,  the  negotiator,  got  a  present 
of  a  blue  coat  {Mheh)^  and  shawl  for  the  head  (Kefiah) ;  his  attendaoits  got 
a  ducat  among  them,  89.,  nominally  for  shodng  their  mares  in  tiayelling  oyer 
our  rocky  roads,  to  which  they  are  not  accustomed  in  the  desert. 


464  LATINS  AT  BAIT  JALA. 

The  system  of  regular  responsible  escort  for  travella? 
had  hitherto  worked  very  well.  It  was  now  extended  to 
the  Eastern  side  of  Jordan. 

We  had  another  proof  this  year  of  the  strengthening 
of  Latin  interests  in  the  Holy  Land. 

In  a  former  chapter  (ch.  XTTI.)  I  have  related  the 
proceedings  in  the  village  of  Bait  Jala,  near   Bethlehem, 
between  the  peasantry  of  that  hitherto  Greek  and  Mos- 
lem place  and  the  Latin  Patriarch,  in  respect  of  the  semi- 
nary and  patriarchal  residence  which  he  was  endeavour- 
ing to  estabUsh  there.     During  his  residence  of  about 
three  months  the  villagers  had  treated  his  Grace  very 
unceremoniously,  and  he  resolved  to  appeal  in  person  to 
Constantinople.      He  was  in  great  indignation  with  the 
Turkish  authorities,  and  left  Jerusalem  in  February  in 
company  of  the  French  Consul. 

By  means  of  the  immense  weight  of  the  French 
Embassy  at  the  Porte  at  this  time,  and  owing  to  the 
annihilation,  for  the  present,  of  Russo-Greek  influence 
there,  the  Patriarch  was  successful  in  obtaining  a  firmftn 
of  authorisation  for  carrying  out  his  plans. 

The  Patriarch  returned  from  Constantinople  on 
August  21st.  So  great  was  the  stir  and  preparation 
made  for  his  reception  that  I  was  obliged  to  give  up  an 
expedition  into  the  country,  which  had  been  arranged  for 
that  day,  being  unable  to  hire  a  horse  for  my  kaww&s, 
every  beast  being  engaged  for  the  triumphant  procession 
of  the  Patriarch  in  the  afternoon.  The  firing  of  muskets 
in  feiuc  de  joie  annoimced  the  approach  of  his  party,  and 
we  watched  the  arrival  over  the  hills  from  the  West.  It 
was  a  pretty  sight.  / 


1, 


I 


THE   PATRIARCH'S  TRIUMPH.  465 

The  cavalcade  was,  of  course,  headed  by  mounted 
kaww&sses,  bearing  their  silver  staves  of  office.  The 
Patriarch's  own  kaww&sses  were  accompanied  by  those  of 
the  French  and  other  Eoman  Catholic  Consulates,  and 
the  Turkish  authorities  had  also  sent  officials,  according  to 
custom,  to  join  in  the  reception. 

The  reluctant  owner  of  the  site  chosen  by  the  Patri- 
arch was  called  on  to  sell  it,  but  he — a  peasant  of  the 
place — being  in  the  interest  of  the  Greek  Church,  still 
refused  to  accept  from  the  Latin  invaders  the  price 
offered  for  his  land,  though  it  was  a  very  handsome  sum. 
This  was  then  placed  in  deposit  in  the  hands  of  the 
Turkish  authorities.  Three  years  later  I  know  he  had  not  • 
accepted  the  money.  It  may  be  that  he  took  it  at  last, 
under  a  threat  of  losing  it  altogether.  The  new  buildings 
were,  however,  begun  and  carried  out.  All  efforts  at 
creating  a  disturbance  were  sternly  repressed  with  a  high 
hand  under  the  Turkish  administration,  quickened  by  the 
zeal  of  the  French  Consulate. 

The  humble  village  chiurch  of  the  Greeks  was 
speedily  eclipsed  by  the  pretentious  architecture  of  the 
Latin  church — the  Patriarch's  palace  rose  adjoining  out 
of  the  extensive  oUve  grove,  and  to  it  was  ranoved,  fix>m 
Jerusalem,  the  clerical  seminary  for  the  education  of 
native  youths  (a  system  hitherto  seldom  adopted  by  the 
Greek  Church)  in  an  European  curriculum  of  theology  and 
other  studies.  The  three  establishments  formed  three 
sides  of  a  quadrangle,  and  the  fine  church  bell  now 
resounds  there  among  the  hills,  being  heard  both  at 
Eachel's  Sepulchre  and  at  Bethlehem. 

Hitherto  Eastern  Christians  hving  in  South  Palestine 

VOL.  I.  H  H 


466  CHURCH  BELLS. 

had  been  compelled  to  observe  the  terms  of  capitalation 
with  their  Moslem  conquerors  under  Omar — ^to  abstain 
from  building  new  churches  and  from  ringing  church 
bells.  Instead  of  bells  they  were  obliged  to  use  the 
nakoos^  or  a  plank  of  wood  suspended,  and  struck  with  a 
hammer  for  the  purpose  of  calling  the  congregation  to 
service. 

We  had  a  small  bell  within  the  premises  of  our 
English  Church,  since  1846,  which  was  at  first  used  to 
call  our  builders  together,  and  at  the  Latin  Convent  a 
small  bell  was  also  used.  Excepting  for  these,  the  sound 
of  bells  would  have  been  unknovm  to  the  inhabitants. 
In  July,  1854,  our  small  bell  was  replaced  by  a  lai^er 
one  over  the  gateway  in  our  church  premises.  But  now 
the  Latins  were  able  to  rejoice  in  having  at  least  been 
able  to  set  one  good  bell  ringing  over  the  Judean  hiDs* 

There  was  another  reason  besides  his  satisfaction  in  the 
triumph  over  the  Greek  Church,  which  made  the  Patriarch 
rejoice  in  his  success  in  founding  an  establishment  at  Bait 
Jala.  This  place  is  sufficiently  near  to  the  Sanctuary  of 
Bethlehem  to  be  a  convenient  residence  for  the  Patriarch, 
who  would  have  found  some  diflSculty  in  establishing  him- 
self at  Bethlehem  itself,  because  the  ground  there  was 
preoccupied  by  the  monks  residing  in  the  Latin  Convent, 

The  secular  clergy,  who  arrived  in  the  Holy  Land 
in  the  Patriarch's  train,  had  always  been  r^arded  with 
a  certain  amount  of  jealousy  and  disfavour  by  the 
monks,  who  had  come  to  look  upon  themselves  as  the 
rightful  representatives  of  Latin  Christianity,  and  who  did 
not  at  all  feel  inclined  to  submit  themselves  and  their 
concerns  to  the  Patriarchate.     Indeed  the  Superiors  of 


THE  MONKS  AND  THE  PATRIARCH.      467 

Terra  Santa  Convents  made  a  determined  resistance  to 
the  pretensions  of  the  Latin  Patriarch  to  have  control  of 
their  revenues.  The  monkd  sturdily  refused  to  hand  over 
the  moneys  which  were  remitted  from  Europe,  or  to 
render  any  account  of  expenditure. 

In  this  quarrel  between  the  Patriarch  and  his  seculars 
and  the  monks,  the  latter  were  supported  by  the  Austrian 
Consulate,  on  the  ground  that  a  large  portion  of  the- 
funds  in  dispute  were  contributed  by  the  faithful  in  the 
Austrian  Empire.  The  Consul  even  threatened  to  send 
the  chests  of  dollars  back  intact  to  Europe,  rather  than 
allow  the  Patriarch  to  touch  them.  The  quarrel  was 
referred  to  Home  for  decision,  and  the  result  was  in 
favour  of  the  monks,  who  were  confirmed  in  their  rights, 
and  in  the  freedom  of  their  financial  ajflfairs  from  the 
Patriarchal  interference. 

The  monks  would  assuredly  not  have  been  pleased 
had  the  Patriarch  attempted  to  establish  himself  and  his 
people  in  Bethlehem  itself ;  but  they  could  not,  of  course, 
raise  any  objection  to  the  founding  of  a  Latin  institution 
at  Bait  Jala,  especially  as  this  was  done  in  despite  of  the 
Greeks ;  and  so  the  Latin  Patriarchate  and  college,  with 
its  church,  may  now  be  seen  over  against  Bethlehem  with 
its  ancient  Convent,  while  Eachel's  Sepulchre  by  the  way- 
side lies  between  the  two. 

The  Patriarch's  buildings  were  not  completed  with- 
out giving  offence  to  the  French  authorities  ;  for  it  was 
discovered  one  day  that  his  Grace  had  had  sculptured 
over  the  principal  entrance  his  own  family  coat-of-arms, 
instead  of  any  emblem  denoting   the  Patriarchal  office 
(excepting  his  official  hat),  or,  what  had  been  fully  ex- 

V  H  2 


468  EDUCATION  DESIRED. 

pected,  the  arms  of  France,  through  whose  efforts  alone 
the  institution  had  been  begun  and  brought  to  a  comple- 
tion. The  Patriarch's  arms,  being  carved  on  the  keystone 
of  the  arch,  could  not  be  easily  removed,  and  they  ivere 
suffered  to  remain. 

The  Latin  Patriarch,  while  availing  himself  to  the 
full  of  the  advantages  to  the  Latin  cause  of  the  Turkiah 
alliance  with  France,  was  personally  strongly  opposed 
to  the  Emperor  of  the  French.  It  was  found  on  one 
occasion  that  at  a  banquet  the  portrait  of  the  Ehnperor 
was  turned  with  its  face  to  the  wall,  while  the  com- 
panion portrait  of  the  Empress  was  properly  hung. 
Both  had  been  sent  to  him  as  presents  from  the  French 
Court. 

The  seminary  at  Bait  Jala  was  hkely  to  prove  a  most 
useful  institution  in  ftirthering  the  Latin  cause.  Proselytes 
from  other  communities  were  always  welcomed  by  both 
the  Convent  and  the  Patriarchal  party.    As  in  other 
countries,  so  in  Palestine,  the  Boman  Cathohcs  held  out 
to  those  among  whom  they  laboured  the  tempting  bait 
of  education.      Monks   would   send  promising  youths 
for    education    to   Borne,  the    nuns   offered    education 
in  Paris  to  any  who  seemed  likely  to  care  for  Euro- 
pean   accomplishments;    and   the    Patriarch    and    the 
Dames  de  Sion  saw  the  wisdom  of  founding  educational 
institutions  near  Jerusalem ;  for  people  of  all  creeds  had 
awoke  to  the  advantages  of  education,  and  were  desirous 
to  have  it  as  a  means  of  advancement  in  condition  and  in 
wealth. 

The  Latin  Patriarch  frequently  represented  how  few 
the  Latins  are  in  Turkey  as  compared  with  the  Christians 


ENGLISH  TRAVELLERS.  469 

of  the  Greek  Church  or  those  of  other  Eastern 
churches.  In  this  he  was  in  perfect  accord  with  the 
monks  and  with  Eoman  Catholic  pilgrims,  who  were 
always  lamenting  the  persecutions  and  injustice  to  which 
they  and  '  their  little  flock '  were  habitually  exposed  at 
the  hands  of  the  Greek  Church.  But  vigorous  measures 
were  now  being  taken  to  remedy  this  state  of  things, 
and  to  win  converts  to  the  Latin  fold. 

There  was,  however,  one  serious  obstacle  to  the  efforts 
made  by  the  Latins  to  obtain  proselytes  from  other  Chris- 
tian Churches.  This  was  the  disgust  felt  among  Easterns 
at  the  assumption  by  the  Pope  of  the  office  and  title  of 
Vicegerent  of  Christ.  The  phrase  *  Wakeel  AUah,'  *  the 
Deputy  {alter  ego)  of  God,'  is  to  the  Oriental  mind  nothing 
short  of  blasphemy. 

The  EngUsh  traveUers  in  Palestine  had  been  numerous 
this  year.  The  services  in  our  church  on  Easter  Day 
were  numerously  attended.  At  the  early  morning 
Arabic  service  there  were  Arabs  present  from  Gifitia 
(Gophna)  as  well  as  from  other  villages.  One  of  the 
Bethlehem  women  present  had  put  on  a  splendid  new 
dress  in  honour  of  the  festival. 

At  the  10  o'clock  English  service  the  Church  was 
fall,  although  the  heavy  rain  kept  some  of  the  travellers 
away.  There  were  seventy-eight  conmiunicants,  besides 
the  three  officiating  clergy.  Among  this  number  were 
a  good  many  native  Christians. 

Hitherto  we  had  been  unable  to  erect  any  kind  of 
belfry  for  our  church — ^Moslem  law,  or  rather  the  Jeru- 
salem Capitulations,  forbidding  Christians  to  use  bells ; 
but  in  the  course  of  this  year  a  small  belfry  was  put  up 


470  ORIENTAL  VISITORS  TO  OUR  CHURCH. 

on  one  of  the  mission  buildings,  and  from  that  time  for- 
ward the  bell — ^not  a  large  one,  but  having  a  good  fiill 
sound — ^was  regularly  rung  for  Divine  service  at  all 
times. 

Abdu'l  Wahhad,  the  E&di  of  Nabloos,  and  some  of 
the  chief  members  of  the  Tokfln  family,  visited  our  church, 
and  expressed  their  delight  at  the  absence  of  images  and 
pictures. 

On  Sunday  a  laige  number  of  Sephardi  Jews  came  to 
the  church,  and  waited  long  before  the  doors  were  open, 
when  they  came  in  and  stayed  to  witness  the  service. 
This  was  a  very  unusual  thing,  for  the  Babbinical  Jevrs 
are  afraid  of  magical  influence  being  exerted  upon  them 
by  what  they  may  hear,  or  by  the  crosses  and  other 
things  to  be  found  in  Latin  and  Greek  churches. 

On  the  same  day  a  number  of  Greek  monks  came  in 
also  during  Divine  service. 

Our  travellers  had  gone  about  with,  as  much  freedom 
as  usual,  without  any  inconvenience,  excepting  that  one, 
who  had  ventured  too  near  the  Temple  Sanctuary  on  the 
City  Wall,  was  hurt  by  a  stone  which  a  Moslem  boy  had 
thrown  at  him  in  his  fanatical  anger. 

The  mihtary  commandant  had  allowed  us,  for  the 
first  time,  to  take  a  large  party  of  travellers  to  the  top  of 
the  Citadel,  or  Tower  of  David,  to  the  no  small  astonish- 
ment of  the  Moslems  when  they  beheld  them  on  the  top 
of  the  castle. 

The  Chief  of  the  AdwSn  Arabs,  from  the  Jordan  plain, 
DeS.b  el  Adwdn,  came  to  Jerusalem  on  his  own  business, 
and  sent  me  word  that  he  was  able  and  willing  to  arrange 
for  the  drawing  up  of  the  contract  whereby  the  comfort 


THE  'ADWAn  at  the  CONSULATE.  471 

and  safety  of  English  travellers  might  be  secured.  He 
announced  that  the  Chief  Abdul  Azeez  was  ready  to 
come  if  invited. 

This  meant  that  the  Bedawy  Chief  and  his  suite  were 
within  reach  somewhere  on  the  east  of  the  Mount  of 
Olives,  which  serves  as  a  barrier  between  the  civilised 
world,  having  government  authority,  and  Desert  rule  and 
territory.  The  wild  men  shelter  in  quiet  nooks  behind  it, 
and  there  communicate  with  people  who  may  give  them 
the  meeting. 

In  a  few  hours  the  Shaikh  appeared.  He  and  his 
party  are  real  wild  Arabs— dirty,  and  forming  a  strong 
contrast  to  his  cousin  De4b,  who  is  dressed  as  clean  and 
as  well  as  any  Effendi  of  the  town,  but  with  a  more  mag- 
nificent sword  than  any  Effendi.  They  are  both  tall 
fellows,  with  hawk  eyes  and  noses.  All  the  Adw4n  party 
were  childishly  curious  about  the  house  and  furniture  (so 
new  to  them). 

The  celebration  of  the  Queen's  birthday  was  always 
duly  observed  at  the  British  Consulate  on  May  24th, 
according  to  the  custom  by  which  the  birthdays  of  foreign 
sovereigns  were  celebrated  at  the  Consulate  belonging  to 
their  respective  nations.  Every  Consul  came  in  uniform 
to  pay  his  respects,  accompanied  by  his  suite  in  full  state. 
•The  Patriarchs,  Chief  Eabbis  of  the  Jews,  the  Turkish 
authorities,  and  principal  inhabitants  of  every  creed,  also 
joined  in  thus  doing  honour  to  the  day. 

These  visitors  were  always  received  by  the  Consul  of 
the  nation  whose  royal  birthday  was  thus  being  kept,  in 
full  uniform,  and  they  were  entertained  with  sweetmeats, 
sherbets,  pipes,  and  coffee. 


472  THE  QUEEN'S  BIRTHDAY. 

Our  Queen's  birthday  this  year  was  kept  with  much 
ceremony.  The  first  visitor  at  half-past  8  in  the  morn- 
ing was  our  friend  M.  Botta,  the  French  CSonsul,  who  had 
previously  sent  us  some  beautiful  and  rare  flowers  from 
his  garden. 

In  the  evening  the  rooms  were  filled  again  by  a  large 
party — ^the  new  Spanish  Consul  and  his  lady  speaking 
Castilian,  our  French  and  other  visitors  their  respective 
languages,  Arab  Christian  ladies  in  silks  and  diamonds, 
with  natural  flowers  in  their  head-dresses.  The  Prussian 
Pastor  and  our  Bishop  were  in  one  comer  discussing  the 
war  and  Prussian  politics  with  the  Prussian  Consul,  whose 
bride,  newly  arrived,  played  classical  music  on  the  'piano- 
forte, as  she,  being  a  Moschelles,  could  play ;  and  at 
intervals  a  pilgrim  from'  Germany,  who  had  wandered 
hither,  gave  sweet  music  on  his  harp. 

The  Pashk  had  not  come  that  day,  probably  because 
he  was  so  old  and  feeble ;  and  the  Sephardi  Chief  Eabbi 
was  ill,  so  he,  too,  was  absent. 

At  the  dose  of  the  evening  *  God  save  the  Queen ' 
was  sung,  and  the  second  verse  with  special  emphasis 
in  present  circumstances,  when  war  was  actually  going 
on,  for  the  Austrian  post  had  told  us  of  the  Bussians 
having  crossed  the  Danube,  that  our  fleet  had  gone  to 
Varna,  and  had  also  brought  indistinct  rumours  of  a 
Greek  insurrection. 

So  much  for  the  city  and  its  affairs.  Though  our 
Pashk  was  eighty-four  years  old,  he  certainly  did  govern 
with  a  much  firmer  hand  than  his  predecessor  had  done, 
and  he  subdued  the  country  under  him. 

We  had,  besides,  at  present  a  respectable  garrison  of 


\ 


ARREST  OF  THREE  EFFENDI8.  473 

troops  in  Jerusalem,  and  so  were  kept  in  peace  for  some 
time.  As  for  the  surrounding  country,  a  disturbance  might 
occasionally  be  imminent  among  the  villagers ;  but  it  was 
a  comfort  to  know  that  there  was  no  one  man  with 
influence  enough  to  rally  the  discontented  around  him. 
'Abderrahhmflu  el  Amer  (of  Hebron)  and  Abu  Gosh 
both  understood  their  lucrative  positions  too  well  to  be 
induced  to  interrupt  the  general  tranquiUity  to  any  great 
extent,  and  the  Government  contented  itself  with  in- 
spiring awe  into  the  peasantry  by  now  and  then  taking 
out  the  two  brass  field-pieces  on  to  the  Meid4n,  or  public 
promenade,  outside  the  city,  and  firing  them  off.  The 
reverberations  of  sound  against  the  hills  were  multiplied 
along  the  valleys  far  away.  These  two  were  the  only 
portable  pieces  of  artillery  possessed  by  the  Ottoman 
Sultan,  between  Egypt  and  Acre. 

There  was,  however,  another  weighty  reason  for  the 
present  repose  of  our  rural  champions.  The  new  Grand 
Vizier  was  Mehemet  Kubrusli  Pasha,  before  referred  to, 
whose  name  inspired  more  terror  than  the  two  brass 
guns.  In  1846-7,  when  he  was  Pashk  of  Jerusalem,  he 
had  made  them  all  feel  that  they  had  a  master.  His 
seizure  and  banishment  of  turbulent  chieftains  were 
stiU  vividly  remembered,  and  his  being  now  at  the  height 
of  power  as  the  Grand  Vizier  at  Constantinople  had  a 
great  effect  on  the  population. 

It  was  probably  under  this  influence  that  one  day 
three  of  the  leaders  in  the  Civic  Div&n  (Mejlis)  were 
suddenly  placed  under  arrest,  and  speedily  shipped  off  to 
Constantinople,  as  being  politically  suspected.  These  were 
Mohammed  Durweesh  Effendi,  'Ali  Nakeeb  Effendi,  and 


/ 


474  CHIEF  OF  THE  POUCE  AKRESTED. 

Ehaleel  Effendi.  They  affected  in  public  that  they  were 
going  on  a  visit  to  congratulate  the  new  Vizier,  Kubrusli 
Pasyt,  their  old  acquaintance,  and  actually  came  to  take 
a  ceremonial  leave  of  me  on  the  occasion,  reckoning  upon 
the  favourable  idea  this  step  would  produce  among  the 
people.  This  ceremony  was  performed,  and  no  alluaioa 
was  made  on  either  side  to  the  true  state  of  affairs. 

Another  sudden  blow  was  struck  within  the  city. 
The  Chief  of  the  Police,  Khaleel  Aga  er-Bess&s,  was  con- 
victed of  collusion  in  a  theft  committed  with  violence  in 
the  house  of  a  Jew  imder  English  protection.  He  was 
deprived  of  ofSice,  and  was  imprisoned  for  several  weeks. 
He  hsus  been  previously  described  as  being  a  man  of 
notoriously  bad  reputation.  He  had  been  so  long  in 
office  that  his  power  was  great,  and  it  was  incredible 
what  efforts  were  made  at  the  British  Consulate,  directly 
and  indirectly,  to  obtain  his  release. 

There  were  visits  of  official  persons  interceding  on 
his  behalf,  private  conversations  of  Jews  under  terror 
of  what  his  revengeful  spirit  (and  we  had  only  too  great 
cause  to  know  what  a  vindictive,  cruel  man  he  was)  might 
prompt  his  relations  and  spies  to  do.  Efforts  were  made 
by  village  Shaikhs  to  bribe  the  emphySs  of  the  Consulate 
to  speak  in  his  favour — evenBedaween  Chiefs  introduced 
the  subject,  amid  other  matter,  when  met  in  imexpected 
places.  De4b  Adw4n  from  beyond  Jordan  came  to  the 
office  for  the  purpose  of  intercession,  but  it  was  observed 
that  he  had  on  a  new  suit  of  clothes  and  a  new  sword — 
things  which  told  plainly  that  he  was  not  disinterested. 

It  was  our  custom  to  have  the  post  conveyed  between 
Jaffa  and  Jerusalem  by  our  own  kawwas,  often  by  night, 


OONVIOTED  OF  ROBBERY.  IMPRISONED.    475 

and  always  in  perfect  safety,  although  the  French  Consul's 
postman,  with  kawwS^ses,  had  been  occasionally  plun- 
dered of  property  (not  of  letters)  on  the  way. 

One  night,  however,  in  the  course  of  the  summer,  the 
English  post  was  stopped  on  the  Plain  of  Sharon  by  a 
noted  thief  named  Sa'adeh,^  not  for  the  purpose  of  rob- 
bery, but  to  expostulate  on  the  imprisonment  of  this 
same  Khaled  Aga  er-Eess&s,  Chief  of  the  Police,  at  the 
instance  of  the  British  Consulate,  as  described,  because 
he  (Sa'adeh)  was  under  an  obligation  of  gratitude  to  this 
man  for  having,  not  long  before,  allowed  him  to  escape 
from  the  SeragUo  dungeon  for  a  bribe  of  1,400  piastres 
and  a  quantity  of  silver — (peasant)  women's  ornaments. 
As  it  was,  the  robber  only  vented  his  displeasure,  but 
declared  that  if  it  had  been  another  of  my  men,  whom  he 
named,  that  he  had  met,  he  should  have  adopted  other 
measures  than  the  use  of  unpleasant  words. 

EDITORS  NOTE. 

The  arrest  and  imprisonment  of  this  arch  offender  attracted 
a  great  deal  of  attention.  For  many  years  he  and  a  gang  of 
accompliccR,  robbers  and  murderers,  mostly  of  the  lowest  class 
of  Moslem  peasantry  of  Bethlehem,  Lifla,  and  Siloam,  had  been 
the  terror  of  the  city  and  neighbourhood.  Chief  of  the  police 
as  he  was,  he  had  been  in  league  with  all  the  well-known  des- 
peradoes inside  and  outside  of  the  city. 

The  lion's  share  of  all  spoils  fell  to  him,  and  if  now  and 
then  some  of  his  accomplices  happened  to  be  caught  and 
arrested,  sometimes  with  his  connivance  to  save  appearances,  he 
as  chief  of  the  police  knew  how  to  lighten  their  imprisonment 
and  to  facilitate  their  escape.  His  audacity  at  last  led  to  his 
fall.     He  was  caught  in  the  fact  of  robbing  an  English  prot6g6j 

*  Since  hanged  at  Jerusalem  in  1865. 


476  ENGLISH  VIOE-CONSUL  AT  CAIFA. 

and  the  Turkish  authorities  were  made  to  understand  that  for 
no  consideration  (and  this  man  had  amassed  great  wealth,  which 
he  was  able  to  use  in  bribery)  must  they  this  time  condone  his 
crimes  or  let  him  escape.  Thus  was  Jerusalem  rid  of  an  insup- 
portable plague. 

But  many  dark  threats  of  vengeance  were  uttered  against 
those  who  had  succeeded  in  checking  his  career,  and  it  needed 
a  good  deal  of  quiet  courage  to  turn  a  deaf  ear  to  all  hints  and 
intimations  of  danger,  and  to  persevere  in  requiring  his  deten- 
tion during  many  months  for  his  crimes,  and  then  after  his  re- 
lease in  preventing  his  being  at  any  time  reinstated  in  office. 

The  influence  of  the  British  Consulate  was  vigorously  ei- 
erted  in  bringing  this  offender  to  justice,  and  in  keeping  the 
Turkish  authorities  to  their  duty  in  carrying  out  his  punisb- 
ment,  which  was  after  all  but  slight  in  comparison  with  the 
long  list  of  heinous  crimes  which  he  had  conmiitted.  The 
chief  of  the  police  was  not  the  only  criminal  of  his  gang,  who 
in  an  evil  hour  for  himself  meddled  with  British  proUgiS' 
Others  too  were  detected  and  punished,  and  thievery  among 
those  who  could  look  to  the  Consulate  for  redress  was  checked 
for  a  long  time  to  come. 

The  lesson  of  this  chastisement  was  not  without  considerable 
effect  on  all  offenders  and  on  the  public. 

The  northern  portion  of  my  Consular  district  had  of 
late  remained  quiet.  The  advantage  of  having  a  native 
Englishman  as  Vice-Consul  at  the  port  of  Caifa  now 
became  very  manifest.  Levantines  or  Eastern  Christiam 
might  be  hoodwinked  or  intimidated,  as  they  usually 
were  in  troublous  times.  Very  few  persons  of  their 
classes  understand  what  we  mean  by  either  personal  or 
moral  courage^  Moreover,  they  have  generally  trade  of 
their  own  to  attend  to,  which  involves  them  in  personal 
relations  with  the  authorities  and  the  inhabitants.  They 
view  matters  from  a  special  aspect    only — ^they  rarely 


MR.  E.  T.  ROGERS.  477 

leave  the  town  where  they  reside  unless  it  be  for  some 
business  transaction  of  their  own  with  the  peasantry. 
However  upright  and  willing  they  may  be,  they  cannot 
show  the  bold  front  which  a  British  agent  should  always 
be  ready  to  show ;  they  cannot  obtain  information  as  an 
Englishman  can,  from  unbiassed  sources.  They  have  not 
the  vigour  necessary  to  allow  of  prompt  action.  They 
dare  not  risk  loss  in  their  own  trade  or  business  by 
which  they  hve,  and  are  thus  hampered  just  at  the  very 
time  when  independence  is  essential.  (One  of  our  Con- 
sular agents,  Mr.  M.  d'A.  Finzi,  of  Acre,  had  done  us  good 
service  during  a  long  period  of  years,  dating  back  to 
before  the  occupation  of  Syria  by  the  Egyptians.  He 
was  of  Jewish  birth,  and  much  respected  by  his  people.) 
We  had  at  this  time  Mr.  E.  T.  Eogers  as  our  Vice- 
Consul  at  Caifa,  the  central  harbour  of  Palestine,  close  to 
the  fortress  of  St.  Jean  d'Acre,  within  easy  reach  of 
G^ilee  on  the  one  hand,  and  Samaria  on  the  other,  and 
of  the  great  plain  of  Esdraelon,  Nazareth,  and  Tibe- 
rias— ^midway  between  Jerusalem  and  Bayroot,  and  on 
the  direct  line  of  communication  by  sea  with  Jaffa,  Tjrre, 
and  Sidon — ^l^ypt  and  Europe.  Thus  I  was  able  to 
obtain  trustworthy  information  as  to  the  course  of.  events 
within  an  important  part  of  the  country.  Mr.  Bogers 
spoke,  read,  and  wrote  Arabic  fluently.  In  case  of  trou- 
bles breaking  out,  we  had  also  in  him  an  officer  ready 
and  able  to,  proceed  at  once  to  the  spot,  whenever  the 
presence  of  a  British  agent  was  likely  to  restrain  evil- 
doers or  to  strengthen  the  hands  of  the  Turkish  Govern- 
ment. During  the  disturbances  at  Hebron  in  1855,  and 
at  Nabloos  in  1856,  Mr.  Vice-Consul  Bogers  rendered 


478  NO  ENGLISH  SHIPS  ARRIX^E. 

essential  service— especiaUy  in  the  rescue  of  the  Bev.  S. 
Lyde  from  his  dangerous  position  in  Nabloos — which 
will  be  described  hereafter. 

Early  in  1854  the  Moslems  of  Caifa  were  restless  and 
troublesome— one  of  them  beat  a  Jew,  a  British  protige 
— ^but  no  witnesses  ventured  to  come  forward  and  give 
evidence  for  conviction  of  the  offender.  The  harbour- 
master used  insolent  language  in  public,  cursing  the 
French  and  the  English  nations,  and  other  proofe  were 
given  of  tiie  irritable  state  of  feeling  of  the  Moslems. 
But  no  serious  mischief  was  attempted,  the  first  begin- 
ning having  been  promptly  noticed  and  checked. 

In  this,  and  this  alone,  lay  our  strength ;  the  imme- 
diate measures,  taken  on  the  smallest  occasion,  to  restrain 
lawless  or  offensive  conduct  to  British  subjects,  and  this 
during  a  long  course  of  years  previously,  had  created 
a  prestige  which  now  proved  our  defence,  and  the 
defence  of  many  thousands  of  people  where  no  other 
help  or  defence  was  to  be  got. 

During  the  period  that  I  have  been  describing,  no 
English  ships  of  war  arrived  at  the  port  of  Jaffa  nor  off 
the  coast  at  Carmel  and  Caifa.  It  was  some  years  since 
any  British  naval  officers  had  been  seen  in  Jerusalem. 
Scarcely  any  merchant  vessels  of  our  nation  had  been 
seen  upon  the  Syrian  coast,  and  not  a  single  steamer,  so 
that  it  became  a  matter  of  wonder  among  the  Orientals 
how  England  could  still  deserve  the  appellation  of  a 
great  seafaring  nation,  especially  as  she  was  actually 
paying  the  French  *  Messageries '  Company  for  carrying 
our  letters  and  despatches  in  the  Levant ;  in  short,  for 
being  our  post-carrier. 


SIR  SIDNEY  SMITH  REMEMBERED.  479 

It  is  true  that  our  naval  power  waa  visible  enough 
elsewhere,  and  our  commerce  was  well  known  in  the 
distant  hemisphere — but  surely  here,  in  a  country  where 
communication  was  slow  and  deficient,  it  would  have 
been  advantageous  to  have  British  patriotism  encouraged 
and  Consular  efforts  backed  by  at  least  an  occasional  re- 
minder of  our  national  capabilities.  This  woiJd  have 
had  a  wholesome  effect  on  fanatic  and  unruly  Moham- 
medans, who  could  have  done  much  mischief  before  any 
succour  could  arrive  fi*om  Corfu  where  our  nearest  ships 
of  war  then  lay. 

Symptoms  of  danger  several  times  showed  them- 
selves. It  was  fortunate  that  there  lingered  in  the 
country  a  pretty  clear  remembrance  of  Sir  Sidney 
Smith's  prowess  at  Acre,  and  of  his  march  into  Jeru- 
salem in  defence  of  the  Christians  ;  as  also  of  the  more 
recent  affair  at  Acre  in  1840,  when  so  much  was  ascribed 
to  the  prowess  of  British  sailors  and  soldiers.  Happily 
in  the  minds  of  the  natives  these  events  were  still  by  no 
means  out  of  date — and  there  was  a  general  idea  that  if 
matters  went  very  wrong  British  ships  would  appear  on 
the  coast  again — and  would  somehow  manage  to  send 
men  where  they  might  be  wanted  for  the  protection  of 
the  oppressed. 

Divine  Providence  watched  over  us,  and  at  the  end 
we  were  able  to  say,  'All's  well  that  ends  well.' 

Of  course  at  so  important  a  crisis  it  was  most  neces- 
sary for  each  Consul,  as  weU  as  interesting  to  others,  to 
learn  how  affairs  were  proceeding  elsewhere.  Letters  and 
newspapers  would  naturally  form  the  staple  means   of 


480  FORTNIGHTLY   MAILS. 

getting  intelligence,  but  our  posts  were  few  and  &r 
between. 

It  is  strange,  in  these  days  of  rapid  telegraphic  com- 
munication, to  look  back  upon  the  condition  we  were  in, 
in  Jerusalem,  diuing  the  Crimean  war,  as  to  communica- 
tion  with  Europe. 

Yet  in  this  respect  we  were  better  off  than  we  had 
been.  There  was  now  an  established  French  postal 
steamer,  passing  fortnightly  between  Alexandria  and 
Smyrna,  which  brought  European  letters  and  journals 
from  the  former,  and  those  of  Constantinople  from  the 
latter,  on  the  return  voyage.  But  thanks  to  our  coast,  all 
lying  open  as  it  does,  without  harbours,  the  mails  in  bad 
weather  would  pass  on,  to  be  reconveyed  back  to  our 
port  at  Jaffa  by  the  next  opportunity.  At  such  times  we 
often  regretted  the  loss  of  our  little  '  Emmetje,'  the  fesfc- 
sailing  English  packet,  which  used  to  bring  us  our  mails 
to  Bayroot,  whence  a  foot  messenger  brought  our  letters 
in  four  days,  and  would  brave  all  weathers,  but  whidi 
was  supplanted  by  the  French  steamer  in  1848. 

In  looking  back  to  the  notes  of  1853,  I  am  par- 
ticularly struck  with  the  frequent  entries  of  the  mail- 
packet  being  late  in  from  Egypt,  or  of  its  having  been 
seen  labouring  away  far  out  at  sea.  Later,  we  had  also 
an  Austrian  Lloyd's  packet  plying  in  the  intermediate 
weeks,  but  I  derived  very  little  benefit  from  its  transit, 
which  was  only  between  Constantinople  and  Ife^t, 
though  it  is  true  it  picked  up  Trieste  mails  at  the  end  of 
each  trip.  We  still  had  in  addition  the  weekly  messenger 
from  Bayroot  in  the  Turkish  service. 

Our  continental  news  was  derived  from  the  various 


NEWS  FROM  CONSTANTINOPLE.  481 

European  Consuls  and  residents.  I  had  not  as  yet  begun 
to  take  in,  as  I  did  later  on,  the  *  Aligemeine  Zeitung,'  or  the 
Smymiote  '  'Ax-jjflgta.'  M.  Botta,  my  Erench  colleague, 
was  always  ready -to  impart  to  me  his  public  news,  and  to 
exchange  journals  for  reading;  he  was  well  supplied 
with  news  from  Constantinople. 

We  had  heard  in  this  way  last  November  (1853)  the 
French  official  account  of  the  Turks  having  crossed  the 
Danube  at  the  two  points  of  Widdin  and  Eustchuk — and 
that  they  had  kept  their  ground — ^though  with  the  loss 
of  Ismail  Pashk  and  5,000  men,  the  Eusaans  having  lost 
7,000.  These  large  numbers  doubtless  included  the 
wounded.  Also,  that  in  Asia,  near  Batoom,  the  Turks 
had  driven  back  a  quarantine  post ;  it  was  besides  stated 
unofficially,  but  positively,  that  the  allied  fleet  was  to 
enter  the  Black  Sea,  and  that  contracts  were  being  made 
for  supplies  and  conveyance  to  the  northern  coast  of 
Asia  Minor. 

Moreover,  it  was  reported  that  the  French  Ambas- 
sador was  changed  for  one  who  was  a  General  in  the 
army,  and  was  attended  by  seven  or  eight  aides-de-camp^ 
and  that  Bussia,  Prussia,  and  Austria  had  addressed  a 
collective  note  to  France  demanding  of  her  to  withdraw 
the  protecting  troops  from  Eome.  This  news  '  merited 
confirmation,'  for  Europe  had  more  pressing  business 
on  hand  than  the  independence  of  the  Papal  part  of 
Italy. 

In  a  few  weeks  more,  early  in  1854,  we  learned  that 
Lord  Palmerston  was  out  of  office,^  and  that  the  four 

^  Lord  Falm6T8ton  had  resigned  after  the  disaster  at  Sinope. 
VOL.  I.  II 


i  482  POSITION  OF  PRUSSIA  AND  AUSTRIA. 

I 

Powers  were  still  labouring  to  patch  up  a  reconciliation 
with  Russia,  at  which  our  friend  Botta  waxed  exceed- 
ingly wroth. 

During  the  whole  of  this  period  it  was  a  matter  of 
some  anxiety,  next  to  watching  the  deeds  of  arms  in 
actual  progress,  to  wait  for  the  effect  of  n^otiations  in 
Vienna  previous  to  the  operations  being  transferred  to 
the  Crimea.  It  seemed  all  very  well  and  suitable  for 
the  German  Powers  to  insist  upon  Bussia  evacuating  the 
Principalities  on  the  Danube,  since  that  was  necessary 
for  their  own  national  safety  and  interest.  Prussia  could 
not  be  neutral  on  the  first  breaking  out  of  the  Crimean 
war.  Until  Eussia  had  evacuated  the  Principalities,  the 
interests  of  Prussia  were  threatened,  B3  were  those  of 
Austria.  By,  evacuating  the  Principahties,  Eussia  dis- 
armed the  resentment  which  Prussia  might  have  felt,  and 
made  it  possible  to  detach  her  from  alUance  with  the 
hostile  Powers.^ 

Prussia  and  Austria  having  insisted  upon  Eois^ 
evacuating  the  Principalities,  was  a  totally  different  ques- 
tion from  whether  they  were  disposed  to  take  active 
measures  for  the  defence  of  Turkey.  Diplomatically,  of 
course,  and  in  accordance  with  treaties,  they  talked  about 
maintaining  the  balance  of  power  in  the  south  and  east 
of  Europe ;  but  were  they  not  jealous  of  an  augmented 
influence  accruing  to  the  Anglo-French  alliance.? — and 

1  Now,  when  we  have  another  Bussian  war,  things  are  yeiy  difiereiit. 
The  Principalities  have  heen  ^yen  to  a  HohenzoUern.  Austria,  the  Raman 
Catholic  nation,  with  interests  antagonistic  both  in  Church  and  State  to 
those  of  Russia,  has  been  humbled.  Prussia  has  been  aggrandised.  The 
Prindpalities  now  give  Russia  vantage  ground  as  a  point  of  attack  upon 
Turkey  .—Editob'b  Note,  1877. 


REASONS  FOR  THEIR  CONDUCT.        483 

were  they  not  willing  to  leave  themselves  at  liberty  to 
share  in  the  spoils  of  '  the  sick  man '  in  the  event  of  his 
decease — deceiving  themselves  also  into  the  belief  that  it 
was  tiuly  impending? 

There  must  have  been  in  their  minds  a  possibihty  of 
Eussia  coming  victorious  out  of  the  huge  struggle ;  and 
under  that  hypothesis  it  surely  would  be  more  profitable — 
during  the  necessary  partition— that  Russia  should  regard 
them  with  sentiments  of  gratitude  rather  than  as  having 
alienated  themselves  during  the  struggle  by  unfriendly 
conduct.  Besides  the  political  calculations  there  were 
personal  friendships  and  relationships  existing  between 
some  of  these  German  Sovereigns  and  the  Czar. 

The  Prussian  and  Austrian  ambassadors  in  St.  Peters- 
burg attended  the  Thanksgiving  Service  for  destruction 
by  the  Russians  of  the  Turkish  fleet  in  harbour  at 
Sinope. 

Supposing  that  the  allies  should  on  the  contrary 
come  out  triumphant,  and  Turkey  remain  entire,  there 
would  be  nothing  in  prospect  for  the  various  Powers 
but  diplomacy  wherewith  to  weave  some  novel  tangled 
net 

We  gathered  the  sentiments  cherisdied  by  that  party 
in  Jerusalem  from  the  language  used — and  from  the  acts 
performed  that  came  under  our  observation. 

At  the  same  time  their  positive  opinions  were  far  from 
being  held  in  reserve,  but  were  cheerily  expressed  by  indis- 
creet gossipers  on  politics — (who  spoke  English  easUy — and 
several  of  whom  lived  on  incomes  drawn  from  EngUsh 
sources)  that  Prussia  was  the  power  destined  to  possess 
Palestine  at  the  coming  dissolution  of  the  Ottoman  Em- 

I  I  2 


484  GOSSIP  AND  POLITICS, 

pire.    The  break-up  was  not  to  be  limited  to  European 
Turkey.    It  was  a  settled  thing  that  a  general  Congress, 
such  as  that  of  Vienna,  in  1814,  would  be  held,  which 
would  not  suffer  either  France  or  Bussia  to  take  Palestine 
— these  nations  being  interested  rivals  of  old  date  for  grasp- 
ing the  Holy  Places  ;  that  England,  although  professing 
no  design  upon  the  Sanctuaries,  had  yet  one  deep  impor- 
tant political  stake  in  keeping  open  the  highway  to  India, 
and  therefore  must  be  (so  it  was  said)  an  object  of  dislike 
and  distrust  to  the  Orientals  (who  were  duly  reminded  of 
this  on  all  convenient  occasions) ;  that  the  minor  Eoman 
Catholic  nations  would  necessarily  be  followers  in  the 
track  of  Prance — as  Greece  would  be  in  that  of  Bussia  ; 
there  remained  therefore  only  Prussia — a  people  new  upon 
the  scene,  not  weighty  enough  to  excite  jealousy,  and 
having  no  antecedent  history  in  the  East  to  create  preju- 
dice.    Prussia  was  therefore  the  nation  predestined  and 
fitted  by  Divine  Providence  to  fill  up  that  particular  void 
which  was  about  to  be  made,  in  respect  of  the  rule  over 
Palestine.* 

It  seemed  to  have  missed  the  notice  of  these  Jerusalem 
politicians  that  in  their  imagined  Congress  Prance,  Bus- 
sia, and  England  would  be  present  and  would  vote  on 
their  own  behalf. 

All  this  was  amusing  enough. 

Just  about  this  time  we  heard  of  the  removal  of  Cheva- 
lier, then  Baron,  von  Bunsen,  from  the  Prussian  Embassy  in 

^  That  this  idea  is  still  in  existence  among  a  part  of  the  Prussian  public 
I  am  not  disposed  to  doubt  in  view  of  Prussian  extension  in  the  Levant  of 
late  years. 

[These  words  were  written  in  1872  by  the  Author,  who  did  not  live  to 
see  the  consolidation  of  the  German  Empire  in  the  hands  of  Pnissia.] — 
Editor'b  Notb. 


BARON  V.  BUNSEN  AND  DR.  SCHULTZ.     485 

London.  Some  of  our  talkers  expressed  their  satisfiwjtion  at 
the  change. 

What  my  old  friend  had  done  to  deserve  this  from 
them  I  know  not,  but  the  turn  of  what  seemed  to  me 
ingratitude  towards  him  was  unexpected;  for  it  was 
he  who  had  been  the  special  agent  in  promotion  of.  the 
Jerusalem  Anglican  Bishopric,  which  had  been  projected 
as  a  particular  link  of  amity  between  England  and  Prussia 
in  the  Holy  Land. 

This  amity  had  been  most  cordially  fostered  and  kept 
up  by  the  late  Doctor  Schultz — ^first  Prussian  Consul  at 
Jerusalem — and  also  by  the  Consul-General,  M.  von  Wil- 
denbruch.  Dr.  Schultz  died  before  the  war  broke  out, 
but  his  cousin,  M.  Weber,  kept  up  friendly  intercourse 
now,  and  during  many  subsequent  years,  while  he  was 
Consul-General  at  BajToot. 

There  were  other  persons,  however,  amdng  our  com- 
munity, of  very  different  temper  and  opinions.  It  was 
disagreeable  for  an  Englishman  to  be  obliged  to  hear 
in  silence — even  under  my  own  roof — (which  I  should 
not  have  done  as  a  private  person),  the  coarse  taunts 
cast  upon  rumoured  failures  in  action,  and  the  pohtical 
thick-headedness  of  John  Bull. 

Great  forbearance  was  necessary,  but  the  duties  and 
responsibilities  of  oflSice  required  that  forbearance  should 
be  exercised  towards  all,  and  by  this  means,  from  the 
very  first  rumours  of  the  coming  war,  and  throughout 
its  continuance,  the  social  intercourse  of  daily  life  was 
kept  unbroken  among  the  strangely-mingled  society  at 
Jerusalem.  The  various  residents  and  the  passers-by 
used  to  meet  in  friendly  gatherings  at  the  British  Consu 


486  GERMAN  DISLIKE  OP  THE  FRENCH. 

late,  as  on  neutral  ground.  The  lists  of  guests  included 
people  of  all  kinds,  Eoman  Catholics  and  Eastern  Chris- 
tians, Europeans  of  all  the  different  nations  (including 
the  Russian  sympathisers  among  the  Anglo-German  resi- 
dents), French  oflSdals  and  Turkish  authorities  (when 
there  were  any  of  the  latter  in  the  city).  All  used  to 
meet  in  a  friendly  way,  and  this  in  the  midst  of  the 
ecclesiastical  rivalries,  the  village  fightings,  the  war 
rumours — and  all  that  was  disquieting  in  the  condition 
of  the  Turkish  Empire. 

Some  of  the  folk  in  Jerusalem  openly  and  constantly 
expressed  their  dislike  of  everything  French — and  hatred 
of  the  new  French  Emperor  individually.  The  coldness, 
in  words  and  looks,  of  all  Germans,  whether  residents  or 
travellers,  concerning  the  great  events  then  in  progress  in 
the  South  of  Europe,  was  significant  of  the  mind  within, 
even  when  clothed  with  the  courtesy  and  tact  of  the  old 
Austrian  party.  This  party  most  certainly  did  not  join 
in  the  expectations  described  above,  as  being  entertained 
by  those  Germans  who  believed  Palestine  would  fjEill  to 
the  share  of  Prussia. 

The  connection,  moreover,  of  Austria  with  Latin  inte- 
rests, gave  her  a  very  different  view  of  present  circum- 
stances fix)m  that  of  Prussia.  Neither  was  Austria  so  in- 
different as  Prussia  might  be  to  the  movements  of  Bussia 
on  her  own  borders. 

During  all  these  summer  months  rumour  was  busily 
at  work,  and  by  no  means  always  innocently  at  work. 

From  Damascus  we  were  informed,  on  what  seemed 
excellent    authority,   that    the  Russians  were  busy  in 


VARIOUS  RUMOURS.  487 

r      Bokhara  and  Khiva,  stirring  up  trouble  among  the  Mos- 

i.      lems  against  Turkey  on  that  side. 

The  various  rumours  which  reached  us  in  Jerusalem 
about  the  progress  of  the  War,  and  about  European  and 
Asiatic  politics,  influenced  the  condition  of  afiairs  in  Pales- 
tine to  a  considerable  extent. 

True,  these  rumours  were  often  inaccurate,  sometimes 
false,  and  were  circulated  piu^osely  with  a  view  to  cer- 
tain ends.  But  we  had  to  deal  with  them  at  the  time, 
and  it  is  therefore  needful  to  allude  to  them  in  the  course 
of  our  narrative. 

There  were  occasional  alarms,  or  encouragements,  in 
these  rumom:s,  which  were  sometimes  brought  by  tra- 
vellers or  Arab  coasting  vessels,  which,  of  course,  could 
not  be  depended  on,  and  which  are  amusing  enough  to 
look  back  upon  now. 

For  instance,  the  skipper  of  an  Arab '  shakhtoor 
(coasting  boat)  brought  to  Jafla  positive  tidings  that 
40,000  Sepoys  had  arrived  at  Suez  from  India  for  re- 
inforcement of  the  British  army.^  He  (the  informant) 
'  had  seen  their  commander  at  Alexandria.'  Next  we 
heard  of  an  insurrection  in  Greece,  moved  by  the  Eus- 
sians ;  also  that  a  merchant  ship  had  been  seized  at  Con- 
stantinople laden  with  Eussian  combustibles,  intended  for 
the  destruction  of  the  capital. 

Then  we  heard,  prematurely,  that  the  allied  army  had 
advanced  to  Varna,  at  least  a  fortnight  before  that  step 
was  really  taken,  and  before  the  Council  of  War  had 

'  While  these  pages  have  been  passing  through  the  press,  what  then 
seemed  likely  to  the  Oriental  mind  has  happened — Sepoys  from  India  have, 
not,  '  arrived  at  Suez/  hut  passed  through  the  Suez  Canal  and  arrived  at 
Malta.— Editor's  Notb,  1878. 


3 


488  FEELINGS  OF  THE  POPULATION. 

resolved  upon  it.  Later  an  American  frigate — ^'The 
Levant ' — ^brought  news  that  in  the  Baltic  the  British  fleei 
had  captured  seven  line-of-battle  ships  in  an  engagement, 
but  had  lost  three. 

Later  still  the  Fashk  sent  me  word  that  affairs  were 
going  on  well  at  SiUstria,  and  that  a  considerable  ad- 
vantage had  been  gained,  notwithstanding  the  loss  of 
Moosa  Fashk.  We  now  know  that  the  Russians  had 
already  raised  the  siege  of  Silistria  three  days  before  the 
above  news  reached  Jerusalem  by  Tatar  courier  firom 
Constantinople.  It  was,  therefore,  very  old  news.  IBs 
Excellency  made,  however,  no  mention  (probably  because 
his  despatch  had  not  mentioned  it)  of  the  immense  benefit 
the  Turks  had  derived  from  our  English  volunteer  officers 
in  the  defence  of  Silistria  aad  Giurgevo. 

The  tidings  of  the  disaster  at  Sinope,  the  bombard- 
ment of  Odessa,  and  the  safe  landing  of  the  allied  army 
in  the  Crimea,  reached  us  with  tolerable  clearness — ^the 
two  latter  from  newspapers,  while  the  former  excited 
much  righteous  indignation,  which  •was  stirred  up  to 
greater  heat  by  coloured  prints  on  sale  in  the  bazaars, 
representing  the  scene  in  abundance  of  fiery  red  and 
yellow  colour.  All  our  public  information  tended  to 
show  that  the  martial  spirit  of  Turkey  was  rising  to  the 
emergency.     Very  likely  it  was  so  out  of  Syria. 

This  narrative  has  shown  how  unknown  is  national 
feeling  among  the  various  races  of  Syria — ^that  there  could 
be  no  national  sympathy  for  the  Turks,  and  that  there 
was  no  martial  spirit  to  be  aroused  on  that  score.  The 
only  cause  of  uneasiness  in  Palestine  arose  from  the 
religious  aspect  of  the  war,  and  from  the  .fanaticism  of 


POSITION  OF  THE  BRITISH  NATION.  489 

those  Moslems  who  were  disposed  to  regard  this  war  as 
the  long-expected  Holy  War  between  all  Christians  on  the 
one  side,  and  all  Moslems  on  the  other*   So  far,  however, 
it  was  doubtftd  whether  the  Christians  would  all  be 
ranged  in  antagonism  to  Turkey.     As  long  as  it  seemed 
likely  that  the  war  would  be  only  a  political  one,  in 
which  Turkey  might  have  Christian  allies,  there  was  no 
imminent  danger  of  a  wholesale  rising  of  Moslems  against 
the    Christian  inhabitants — provided  always  that  local 
quarrels  were  not  permitted  to  come  to  any  dangerous 
condition.     There  was,  of  course,  always  the  danger  of 
foreign  intrigue   stirring  up  mischief — ^whether  in  the 
shape  of  fanatical  aggression  upon  the  Christians,  or  of 
simple  insurrection  of  the  Moslem  subjects  against  their 
Turkish  rulers — ^by  means  of  the  local  feuds  and  enmi- 
ties always  rife  in  the  country. 

In  regard  to  these  contingencies  and  dangers,  the 
British  nation  stood,  as  it  were,  between  all  the  conflict- 
ing parties,  pohtically  as  having  no  quarrel  with  Turkey 

^who  rather  looked  to  her  for  obtaining  some  measure 

of  justice  and  feir  play — ^and  in  reUgious  matters  for  the 
reason  that  it  was  known  to  all  men,  even  the  most 
ignorant  in  the  land,  that  we  were  in  no  way  mixed  up  in 
the  religious  antagonism  between  the  Eastern  Churches, 
•  headed  by  Eussia,  and  the  Western  or  Latin  Churches, 
headed  by  France. 

The  natives  of  Syria  knew  moreover  that  an  immense 
body  of  Moslems  in  India  (forty  millions)  were  under 
British  rule,  and  that,  so  far,  the  Sultan,  as  their  common 
religious  chief  (for  so  he  was  regarded  by  the  Syrian 
Moslems  and  by  many  of  the  Indian  pilgrims),  had  had 


490  FEELINGS  TOWARDS  ENGLAND. 

no  cause  to  complain  of  our  neglect*  td  fulfil  oiir  engage- 
ments towards  them  or  towards  himself.^  ^r^ 

They  all  knew  that  England  had  bgen  ji  fiiend  to  the 
oppressed  of  all  races  and  creeds— redfly^  to  advocate  the 
cause  of  any  who  were  suffering  wroilg,  whether  Moslem 
peasant,  or  Jew,  Samaritan,  Druse,  or  oppressed  Christian 
of  whatever  Church. 


■tw 


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